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By CLARENCE B. BURLEIGH 


RAYMOND BENSON SERIES 
Illustrated by L. J. Bridgman. Price ;^i.50 per volume 

THE CAMP ON LETTER K 
RAYMOND BENSON AT KRAMPTON 
THE KENTON PINES 


NORMAN CARVER SERIES 

Illustrated by H. C. Edwards and from Photographs. 
Price ^1.50 per volume 

ALL AMONG THE LOGGERS 
WITH PICKPOLE AND PEAVEY 
THE YOUNG GUIDE 



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“ I FEEL A GOOD DEAL BETTER RIGHT WHERE I AM, ” CONFESSED 

Norman. — Page 147. 


NORMAN CARVER SERIES 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 

OR 

Two Live Boys in the 
Maine Woods 

/< 

cf b>*'’burleigh 


ILLUSTRATED BY H. C. EDWARDS 
AND FROM PHOTOGRAPHS 



BOSTON 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 


Published, August, 1910 



Copyright, 1910, by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 


All Rights Reserved 


The Young Guide 



Norwood Press 
Berwick & Smith Co. 
Norwood, Mass. 

U. S. A. 


©CI.A:i71 756 


SU ^V?//o 




TO MY SONS 

e;dwin ci^arenc® and donaed quimby bureeigh 
THIS BOOK 


IS AFFECTIONATEEY DEDICATED 



PREFACE 


In '' All Among the Loggers '' and With Pickpole 
and Peavey/’ the first two volumes of this series, Nor- 
man Carver and Fred Warner have been seen at work. 
In the first book they were shown as members of a hardy 
crew of loggers, engaged in converting the resources of 
the forest to the uses of civilization. In the second, they 
were shown as members of a famous crew of river drivers, 
engaged in the hazardous task of floating logs, on the 
full tide of the Spring freshet on the East Branch of 
the Penobscot River, from the forests where they were 
cut to the big mills which were to convert them into the 
long and short lumber of commerce. 

In the present volume we find them wholly given over 
to the pursuit of pleasure, enjoying, to the full, the glories 
of the Maine woods during the height of the hunting 
season. Of course they have many varied and exciting 
experiences. 

The reader will also have an opportunity, in this story, 
to meet, amid new scenes and associations, a number of 
familiar characters who have figured in the preceding 
volumes, including Felix Lamarre, the crown prince of 
camp cooks, Sol Soc, Jim Benner, Barney O’Connor, 
Gusty Peters, Dave Umber, and big Pete Bedotte. 

An effort has been made to give an accurate descrip- 
tion of conditions as they actually exist in the big Maine 
woods when they are thronged with sportsmen, or, as 
the guides invariably call them, “ sports,” in search of 
"'big game.” 


V 


VI 


PREFACE 


If I have been fairly successful in carrying out this 
purpose, I shall be content. 

C. B. Burleigh. 

Augusta, Maine. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. An Elusive Buck i 

II. Stringing " the Englishman . . .14 

III. The Advent of Bill Sproggs . . . .26 

IV. The Trail “to the Spring” . . . .38 

V. Fred Warner Gets his Chance . . .51 

VI. The Hazing of Sproggs 63 

VII. The Reappearance of the Albino Buck . . 75 

VIII. Sol Soc and the Thief 87 

IX. Hanson's Moose loi 

X. The Capture of the Cubs . . . .114 

XI. The Battle of the Monarchs . ... .126 

XII. Norman Shoots a Moose 139 

XIH. Norman and Fred Made Prisoners . . .153 

XIV. The Pursuit 166 

XV. Norman Shoots the Albino Buck . . . 177 

XVI. A Night in a Lean-to . . ... .189 

XVH. Ross Peters's Close Call 200 

XVHL Norman and Fred Revisit Old Scenes . .211 

XIX. The Disappearance of Dave Umber . . . 222 

XX. At the Home of the Hermit .... 234 

XXL A Visit to Gusty Peters 246 

XXII. Norman Gets Back his Rifle .... 259 
XXIII. The Capture and Escape of the Bowfus Gang 306 

vii 


CONTENTS 


viii 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XXIV. Following the Trail 283 

XXV. An Encounter with the Outlaws . . . 295 

XXVI. The Recapture of the Boweus Gang . . 306 

XXVII. The Return to the Sebois .... 318 
XXVIII. An Encounter with the Guides . . . 329 

XXIX. Norman Shoots an “Indian Devil . . 341 

XXX. Conclusion 353 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


“ I feel a good deal better right where I am,” 
confessed Norman (Page 147) . . . {Frontispiece) 

FACING 

PAGE 

** I’m really relieved,” said the Englishman, 

cheerfully 10 

Larry Hunt’s Place 50 

A camp in the woods 74 

‘‘Don’t ye go for t’ harm me I” he pleaded 

in unsteady tones 90 

Canoeing on the Deadwater 126 

The comforts of camp life 152 

With a mighty leap, it cleared a collection 

of tops piled up beside the road 184 

Life in a lean-to 194 

Telos Lake 218 

Dave Umber’s Potato Hole 234 

A deserted lumber camp 248 

Chamberlain Lake 

Showing Mount Katahdin in the distance . . 258 

“ Toting ” a canoe 282 

There was an ominous click as the hand- 
cuffs closed upon his wrists 314 

A large cougar leaped upon the boulder 
on the opposite side of the brook 346 



CHAPTER I 


AN ELUSIVE BUCK 

“ It’s deuced queer, don’t you know, but here we 
are in the heart of the game country, and not a thing 
in sight to shoot at.” 

The speaker paused, and looked around on the 
group of “ sports,” who, with their arms, and dun- 
nage, were loaded upon a big buckboard that was 
making its slow, laborious way along the Sebois tote- 
road. ‘‘How do you account for it, young man? 
You’ve been here before, and should know all about 
it.” Norman Carver, to whom the question was 
addressed, and who occupied the front seat with the 
driver, big Pete Bedotte, turned, and faced his ques- 
tioner with an amused smile. 

“ A buckboard isn’t the best possible conveyance for 
still hunting,” he answered, dryly. 

A shout of laughter greeted this announcement, to 
the very evident discomfiture of the tall, florid, and 
somewhat pompous-looking man who had asked the 
question. “ Why, bless your heart,” said a big, jolly- 
faced man on the back seat, “ there’s no kind of game 
in these woods that couldn’t hear this buckboard at 
least six miles.” 


I 


2 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Ba Joe! I t’ink me dat ban so/^ corroborated Pete 
Bedotte, with a broad grin. 

“ Might just as well go hunting with a brass band,” 
commented another. 

“ But, really, you know, it seems deuced strange 
your game should be so shy,” protested the pompous- 
looking man. “ Pll admit Fve had no experience in 
this country,” he added. “ Now in India, where IVe 
done most of my hunting, the more noise you make, 
donh you know, the more game you’re liable to see.” 

The party on the buckboard were eyeing the speaker 
with incredulous looks. 

“ Let me see, your name is ? ” began the big 

jolly-faced man. 

“ Matterson — Lord Lionel Ludwig Leonard Mat- 
terson,” was the response. 

‘‘ And mine is Henry Hamilton,” continued the 
jolly-faced man. “ My home is in New York, as are 
those of all the other gentlemen in this party, if we 
except General Carver, and his son. Lord Matterson, 
permit me to make you acquainted with General Car- 
ver, of Boston.” 

“ Aw — I’m very glad to know you, sir,” said the 
Englishman, extending his hand. ‘‘ I fancy you are 
well acquainted with this region.” 

On the contrary,” returned the General, this is 
my first visit here, although I was born in Maine, and 
am more or less familiar with its big timber sections. 
My son, who has be.en here before, persuaded me to 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


3 


accompany him on a hunting trip. I judged from 
what you said, a moment ago, that you had tried 
tiger-shooting.’’ 

Yes, sir,” returned the Englishman, with an accent 
of pride, “ It is my favorite sport.” 

“ Well, it’s a far more dangerous one than you can 
find in the Maine woods. Our game is at least harm- 
less. It will give you plenty of room, if you only 
afford it a chance.” 

“ But your bears — surely you have bears in these 
woods. I’ve heard the grizzly bear was a very dan- 
gerous animal,” protested Lord Matterson. 

“ So they are,” conceded the General, but we have 
no grizzly bears in Maine.” 

Really, sir, you surprise me ! ” 

Our only bears are the common black bears,” con- 
tinued General Carver ; “ but they are very keen-scented 
and timid. It is rare indeed that they are seen in the 
woods by hunters.” 

If you want to make sure of seeing one, you’ll 
have to visit some Zoological Garden in a big city,” 
added Hamilton. 

‘‘ But surely you do get them, sometimes,” persisted 
the Englishman. 

“ Oh, certainly. A great many of them are trapped, 
and, occasionally, when conditions are favorable, one 
is seen at large in the woods; but such instances are 
rare.” 

The buckboard had now left the turnpike portion of 


4 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


the road, and went bumping, creaking, and pounding 
over the boulders, the mire holes, and over the stretches 
of corduroy that studded the narrow tote-road, which, 
at best, was little more than a rough trail through the 
woods from which the trees had been cleared away. 

Norman Carver promptly left his seat and walked 
on ahead of the horses. 

“You aren’t going to leave us, are you?” inquired 
Mr. Hamilton. 

“ I surely am,” responded Norman, promptly. “ I’ve 
been here before.” 

“ Oh — aw — uh ! ” groaned the Englishman, dis- 
mally, as the buckboard slid over a specially large 
boulder with a vicious bump. 

“ Hurt ? ” queried Hamilton. “I — aw — bit my 
tongue,” explained Lord Matterson. 

An audible titter came from the other members of 
the party. 

“ You should always keep your tongue from between 
your teeth on this tote-road,” admonished Hamilton. 

“ It’s quite bad enough on the teeth,” added another 
member of the party. 

“ Thanks for your kind suggestion,” said the 
Englishman, stiffly. 

“ Hold up a moment, driver,” called out General 
Carver, “ I think I’ll go along with Norman.” 

Big Pete brought the buckboard to a stand-still and 
General Carver clambered down into the road, fol- 
lowed by all the other members of the party, with the 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


5 


exception of the Englishman, who clung tenaciously 
to his seat. 

It’s hard getting his lordship from his throne,” 
said Hamilton, as the party, with their rifles on their 
shoulders, tramped on ahead of the slow-going horses. 

If he stays there till he reaches Sebois Bridge, I 
reckon he will not be so tall by a foot,” observed 
another. 

The party had gone but a short distance before it 
came up with Norman, who was seated on a windfall 
by the roadside. 

‘‘ Where’s the Prince Imperial ? ” he inquired. 

‘‘ His lordship is still in the landau,” explained Ham- 
ilton. He’ll be more of a stayer than I think he is 
if he remains there long,” declared Norman. ‘‘ He’ll 
be glad enough to hit the trail before he goes much 
further.” 

The prediction was speedily fulfilled. The party 
had gone scarcely another mile when its members 
heard a lugubrious groan, and turned to see the 
Englishman limping along behind, with a heavy Mar- 
lin rifle of large calibre on his shoulder. 

“ This, don’t you know, is really a-atrocious,” he 
gasped. 

‘‘ It’s worse than the inquisition,” agreed Hamilton, 
but then you see we are not obliged to endure it.” 

“ Very fortunately,” declared Lord Matterson, with 
fervor. 

Look there ! ” exclaimed Norman, excitedly. He 


6 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


pointed half way up a wooded slope, where, partially 
hidden by a growth of scrub-firs, was the outline of 
an enormous buck. 

‘‘ Hold on, gentlemen,'’ was Hamilton's admonition, 
in a low tone, as the members of the party were swing- 
ing their rifles from their shoulders. “We have all 
had our chance to hunt in Maine, but we are so for- 
tunate as to have with us to-day Lord Lionel Leonard 
Matterson, a distinguished tiger-hunter from over the 
sea. I would suggest that we turn this buck over to 
him." 

All the members of the party promptly acquiesced 
in this suggestion. 

“ Aw, thanks, gentlemen, I assure you, I appreciate 
your great kindness," said the Englishman, delightedly. 

“ By Jove ! He's a beauty ! " he added, with enthu- 
siasm. 

Squaring away. Lord Matterson took deliberate aim, 
and fired at the buck. There was a murmur of sur- 
prise from the members of the party, as they observed 
the buck still standing in the same position. 

“ Really, gentlemen, don’t you know, I'm beastly 
ashamed of myself," declared the Englishman, with 
deep chagrin. “That was a stupid funk." 

“ You ought to have hit him with a stone at that 
distance,” agreed Hamilton. “ Still, you'll do better 
next time." 

Again the Englishman fired, but still the buck 
remained immovable. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


7 


‘‘ Just imagine him a royal Bengal tiger, and per- 
haps you can hit him,’’ suggested General Carver. 

** What an ass I am ! ” exclaimed Lord Matterson, 
in deep disgust. Really, don’t you know. I’ve lost 
my eye.” 

‘‘ A clear case of buck fever,” declared Norman. 
Down the tote-road came the rumble of the approach- 
ing buckboard. 

“ That will scare him away,” said Hamilton. 

“ Shoot him, gentlemen,” begged the Englishman, 
‘‘ I’ve had my chance, and thrown it away.” 

No,” said Hamilton, he’s your game. Go ahead 
and empty your magazine at him.” 

Lord Matterson was prompt to act upon the sug- 
gestion, and sent shot after shot in the direction of 
the buck. Finally he stopped, very red in the face, 
only to see his game in the same position. 

“ I’m a noodle, a beastly ass of a noodle,” he declared, 
in a nettled tone. 

“ Let’s go up and see how near you came to him,” 
suggested Norman. 

“An excellent idea,” said Hamilton. “You must 
at least have hit some of the rocks and trees around 
him.” 

Following Norman’s lead, the members of the party 
made their way up the woody slope in the direction of 
the buck, which still remained in the same position. 

“ He doesn’t seem to have much sense of fear,” 
remarked General Carver. 


8 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Perhaps he doesn’t know that close time is off/’ 
rejoined Norman, with a laugh. 

“ Must be an old blind one,” declared Hamilton. 

“ And deaf to boot,” added the General. 

A moment later the party broke through the fringe 
of firs, and came upon the buck. 

It was a stuffed one — a fine specimen of backwoods 
taxidermy. Attached to its fore-leg was a placard 
upon which was the inscription, Never touched me.” 

“ By Jove ! that’s a lie,” declared the Englishman, 
hotly, pointing to a number of holes in the side of the 
stuffed buck. “ I fancy, don’t you know, that every 
shot I fired hit him.” 

It was evident that Lord Matter son, notwithstand- 
ing his chagrin at the joke of which he had been made 
the victim, was greatly relieved to find that his marks- 
manship had not been at fault.” 

“ A guide’s joke,” commented General Carver. 

“A — a joke!” sputtered the Englishman, wrath- 
fully. ‘‘ I call it a beastly outrage.” 

‘‘ A man who would perpetrate a thing like that, 
deserves to be stung to death by hornets,” asserted 
Hamilton, solemnly. 

I should say he was something of a hornet him- 
self,” said Norman. 

‘‘ Well, he stung us all right,” agreed the General. 

“ By Jove, you mustn’t say ‘ us,’ sir. I am the 
beastly victim. I’ll not consent to have you share my 
stupidity,” said Lord Matterson. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


9 


“ But I think we were all deceived,” protested the 
General. 

“ Temporarily at least,” agreed Hamilton. I must 
confess that I began to suspect that something was 
wrong when that buck remained stationary after Lord 
Matterson’s first shot. Wild deer are not usually so 
nonchalant when bullets are flying around them.” 

‘‘ I thought it was funny you should be so anxious 
about the noise of the buckboard scaring that buck, 
when he’d faced a town meeting, and served as a tar- 
get, without raising his flag,” said Norman, with a 
laugh. 

W’ere dat game, he ban ? ” shouted big Peter 
Bedotte, as he drew alongside of the party with the 
buckboard. 

‘‘Up the ridge,” replied Norman, pointing to the 
stuffed buck. 

A guffaw of laughter came from the brawny team- 
ster. “ Ho ! ho ! yi ! yi ! ” he roared. ‘‘ Excuse to 
me,” he added, apologetically, with an effort to con- 
trol his mirth. “ I don’ ban able for stop de laugh 
ma’se’f on ma face.” 

“ I reckon you knew that buck was there, Pete,” 
said Norman. 

“ Sure t’ing,” acknowledged Pete, with a hearty 
chuckle. 

“ I told yo’, M’sieu Carvarre. Dat ban a mark for 
de tendarre feet on more dan a mont’.” 

“ And ’ere’s one that came all the way from Lunnon 


lO 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


to shoot at it/’ added the crestfallen Englishman. 

“ Ba golly, you not de firs’ wan,” declared the grin- 
ning Pete. “ I bat yo’ feefty dollarre more dan a 
t’ousan’ sports shoot dem dat deer.” 

“ See here, Pete, go slow,” admonished Norman. 

‘‘ Are you quite sure it wasn’t nine hundred and ninety- 
nine ? ” 

** No, M’sieu Carvarre,” insisted Peter, ‘‘ It ban wan 
t’ousan’ — mebbe more.” 

‘‘By Jove! I’m really relieved,” said the English- 
man, cheerfully. “I fancy, don’t you know, that 
pretty much this whole section has had a shy at that 
buck.” 

“ Pete’s thousand would certainly cover the greater 
part of the population up this way,” conceded Norman. 

“ Really, don’t you know, my appetite’s coming back 
again,” declared Lord Matterson, with the first sug- 
gestion of a smile that had appeared upon his face 
since he first spied the stuffed buck. 

“The road from this point will be considerably 
smoother,” said Norman, as he climbed back upon the 
buckboard, and took his seat beside big Pete. “ Larry 
Hunt and his men Have done considerable work upon 
it.” 

The other members of the party resumed their seats 
upon the lumbering vehicle, which proceeded on its 
way at a much better speed. 

“Ba Joe! dem boss he smell heem dat forkful oat 
an’ bushel hay,” commented big Pete, as he noted the 



“I’m really relieved,” said the Exglishmax, cheerfully 

Page 10. 






THE YOUNG GUIDE 


II 


quickened pace of the horses and rejoiced accordingly. 

‘‘ There’s nothing like a call to supper to arouse 
enthusiasm,” added Norman. 

A little later they crossed the log bridge over the 
Sebois River, climbed the sharp pitch beyond it, and 
drew up in front of the long building of peeled logs 
known throughout the entire section as “ Larry Hunt’s 
Place.” 

The genial proprietor hastened forward to give them 
his customary greeting. 

‘‘ Glad to see you again,” he said, clasping Norman’s 
hand in a hearty grip. 

This is my father, Mr. Hunt,” said Norman. 

I’m proud to make your acquaintance,” said 
Larry, extending a cordial hand to the General. ‘T 
am pretty well acquainted with your son,” he added. 
‘‘ He’s the lad who broke the big jam at Grand Pitch, 
last spring.” 

‘‘ Yes, I’ve heard of tfiat, and I fear it was a reck- 
less proceeding on his part,” responded the General. 

“ One thing is certain,” declared Larry, with con- 
viction. “ He was the only one in that crew — and 
a better one never came down this river — who had 
the nerve to try it.” 

Norman was about to deprecate this strong praise 
when two muscular arms were thrown about him, and 
he turned to find himself in the embrace of Fred 
Warner. 

“ It seems mighty good to see you again,” declared 


12 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


the former cookee, as he pushed him to arms’ length, 
and, with his hands on his shoulders, stood looking 
him in the face. “ Don’t see that you’ve changed any,” 
he added. 

“ Nor you either,” declared Norman, as he seized 
his friend’s hand in vigorous clasp and shook it 
warmly. “ It certainly does seem good, Fred, to see 
you again,” he continued. ‘‘ What are you doing 
here?” 

“ Oh, the same old thing,” returned Fred, lightly. 
“ Lugging the wood and water, and helping Felix 
Lamarre.” 

‘‘What! Felix here?” exclaimed Norman, in sur- 
prise. 

“ He’s King of the Kitchen,” responded Fred. 

“ There’s two other old friends of yours working 
for Larry,” he added. 

“Who are they?” 

“ Sol Soc and Jim Benner.” 

“Sol Soc!” exclaimed Norman, joyfully. “This 
is certainly a surprise. I knew Jim Benner was to 
work for Larry. He engaged with him, you know, 
before the close of the drive, but I didn’t dream of 
seeing Sol Soc here.” 

“ He’s the king of all guides,” declared Fred. 
“ Hasn’t had an idle minute since the sporting season 
opened. He’s out with a party now.” 

“ I can well imagine that he would be in demand,” 
returned Norman. “ Certainly Maine never had a 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


13 


man more skilled in woodcraft than this Sol Soc.’’ 

“He's an Indian; that tells the whole story/' said 
Fred. “ They are born with the sense of location. 
Ton can't lose one of them." 

“Wal, wal, what sights we see when we don't hev 
no gun! Norman Carver, how air ye!" exclaimed a 
familiar voice, and Norman turned to grasp the out- 
stretched, calloused hand of Jim Benner. 

“ I swear t' man, but th’ sight o' ye is good for sore 
eyes," said the veteran heartily. “ I was afeared I 
wasn't a-goin' t' see ye agin." 

“ Oh, a bad penny always returns," rejoined Nor- 
man, lightly. “ And now," he added, turning to 
Warner, “where are you going to put us, Fred?" 

“ In that little camp across the road," responded 
Warner, leading the way to a little cabin of peeled 
logs which stood on the opposite side of the road from 
the main camp. It was a structure of one room which 
was nearly filled by the two beds, the washstand and 
the drum stove that constituted its furnishings. 

“ It looks very comfortable," commented General 
Carver, after a brief inspection. 

“We shall be as snug as two bugs in a rug," declared 
Norman, contentedly, as he sat down upon one of the 
beds. “ Give us all of your society you can, Fred," 
he added, turning to Warner. “ We are here for a 
good time, you know." 


CHAPTER II 


“stringing” the ENGLISHMAN 

For the benefit of those who have not read “ All 
Among the Loggers ” and “With Pickpole and Pea- 
vey,” the two earlier volumes of this series, it may be 
well to state here that Norman Carver was the only 
child of General Carver, a noted attorney of Boston. 
His mother was dead. He became involved in a fool- 
ish school prank, entered into in a thoughtless spirit 
of mischief, but which stopped little short of actual 
criminality, and his father sent him into the Northern 
Maine woods to act as clerk at one of the camps of 
the Lakeland Lumber Company, in which he was a 
stockholder. He believed that a winter’s work among 
the hardy, vigorous men who convert the resources of 
the forest to the uses of civilization would be the best 
possible school for him, and that it would develop, in 
a practical way, his innate self-reliance and strength 
of character. This belief proved to be well-founded. 
Norman “ made good ” from the first, and soon became 
a general favorite with the rough but kind-hearted men 
with whom he was associated. Among the warm 
friendships he formed was one with Fred Warner, a 
fine, manly young fellow with considerable experience 
14 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


IS 


in woods life who acted as cookee, or cook’s assistant. 
Fred’s mother was a widow who lived on a farm, which 
had been partially cleared by her husband prior to his 
death. Fred was the eldest of her family, and she had 
three children younger than he. It was largely as a 
result of his earnings that she was able to provide them 
a livelihood, and keep them in school. Another strong 
friend was won by Norman in the person of Sol Soc, 
a powerful Old Town Indian, a past-master of woods- 
lore, whose life Norman had saved, thus winning his 
enduring friendship and devotion. Among his other 
good friends at the camp were big Pete Bedotte, a 
French teamster, Felix Lamarre, the accomplished 
camp cook, and Jim Benner, a rugged type of the old- 
time logger. The most stirring event in Norman’s 
winter in the lumber camp was his capture and prac- 
tical imprisonment by one ‘‘ Clouter Kelty,” a noto- 
rious outlaw and assassin, who was seeking conceal- 
ment in the deep Maine woods to escape the clutches 
of the law. 

Before leaving the lumber camp Norman arranged 
to accompany its boss, Billy Eustace, as clerk of the 
drive down the Sebois River and the East Branch of 
the Penobscot, Eustace being in charge of the crew 
that drove the logs down the Sebois. Here Norman 
met most of the good friends he had made while in 
the employ of the Lakeland Lumber Company, and 
was fortunate in making some valued new ones, chief 
among whom were Barney O’Connor, the assistant boss 


i6 THE YOUNG GUIDE 

of the Sebois, a kind-hearted Irishman as scrappy and 
daring as he was fond of practical jokes, and ‘‘ Long 
Tom ” Boggs, a tall, wiry Down-East Yankee, an expert 
river-driver, a good friend, and a foe whose long arms 
and hard fists made him much to be feared. There 
had long been a bone of contention among the lumber 
operators on the Sebois River and other tributaries of 
the East Branch flowing southeast into the Penobscot 
River through the State of Maine, and the Allegash 
River, a tributary of the St. John flowing northeast 
into the Dominion of Canada. The operators on the 
Allegash claimed that the extensive waters of Cham- 
berlain Lake were originally a part of their system; 
but that the operators of the East Branch, by building 
a dam at the outlet of Chamberlain Lake, and a short 
stretch of canal, had diverted these waters from their 
natural flow, and made them tributary to the Penob- 
scot. This was not denied by the East Branch opera- 
tors, who claimed that the Canadian government had 
forced the situation by putting an export duty on logs, 
and that the dam at the outlet of Chamberlain Lake 
had been built under a charter granted by the legis- 
lature of Maine, the legality of which had been, subse- 
quently, affirmed by the Supreme Court of the State. 
Norman had many stirring adventures during the drive 
down the Sebois, chief among which was the breaking 
of an enormous ‘‘jam” at “Grand Pitch,” a danger- 
ous stretch of rough water, by cutting the “ key-log ” 
that held it. This was an exhibition of nerve and dar- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


17 


ing that won Norman the hearty respect and admira- 
tion of the rough men of the crew; but it very nearly 
lost him his life. He was drawn into the swirling 
waters of the Pitch from which he was rescued, only 
at great risk, through the heroic efforts of Sol Soc and 
Barney O’Connor. 

During the progress of the drive down the Sebois 
Norman and Fred captured a half-demented old man 
who was helping himself from the camp supplies. He 
gave his name as Dave Umber and asserted that he 
lived ‘‘ in the heart of the bog, by the still beaver 
waters.” 

The rough men of the crew might have made things 
unpleasant for the old man had not Norman interceded 
in his behalf with the result that, instead of being pun- 
ished, he was permitted to go on his way rejoicing, 
carrying with him a generous supply of provisions, and 
deeply grateful to Norman for the service he had ren- 
dered him. 

As the Sebois drive drew near the East Branch word 
was received that an attempt had been made, in the 
interest of the Allegash operators, to blow up the dam 
at the outlet of Chamberlain Lake. Eustace was at 
once detailed to superintend the work of repairs. 
Among those he took with him to the camp at the 
dam were Norman and Fred Warner. While the 
other men were engaged in the work of repair, the 
two boys were sent to scout the woods in the vicinity 
of the dam. While engaged in this work they were 


i8 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


surprised and made prisoners by Gusty Peters, the 
ponderous and peppery boss of the Allegash drive, 
and his chief lieutenant. Black Jake Jasper. For a 
time they were confined in the camp of their captors, 
but by a clever stratagem, and show of nerve, they 
were enabled to make their escape. They were pur- 
sued by Gusty Peters and his gang, but with the aid 
of Dave Umber, who came to their assistance, they 
were enabled to avoid them. The old hermit took 
them to his home, a log cabin on an island in the midst 
of an extensive dead water formed in large part 
by a big beaver dam. Here he left them while he 
stole away to inform Eustace of their predicament. 
During the hermit’s absence, Gusty Peters and Black 
Jake Jasper put in an appearance. They attempted to 
reach the island by felling a tree from the opposite 
shore, but as Gusty tried to cross upon it Fred Warner 
pushed it out from the island with a pickpole, causing 
Gusty to lose his footing and plunge into the slime of 
the dead water, from which he was pulled, with some 
difficulty, by Black Jake. Covered with dark mud, and 
swearing vengeance, Peters returned to his camp with 
the avowed purpose of securing his gun, only to fall 
into the hands of Eustace and his men, who were on 
their way to rescue Norman and Fred. 

Meanwhile Black Jake Jasper remained on the shore 
of the mainland, and kept watch of the boys until he 
was surprised and overcome by Sol Soc and Barney 
O’Connor. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


19 


At the close of the drive Norman went back to his 
home in Boston fully determined to return the follow- 
ing autumn on a hunting trip to the Sebois and East 
Branch sections. This plan he was able to carry out 
in company with his father, General Carver, who felt 
that he had failed to enter sufficiently into the life of 
his son, and who had been much gratified at the 
improvement he had noted as a result of Norman’s 
life in the lumber camp, and on the drive. We find 
them, therefore, at the end of their journey enjoying 
the hospitality of Larry Hunt’s place in the heart of 
the big game region. 

The morning following their arrival at Sebois Bridge 
they made their way to the big main-camp, in the gray 
light of the early morning, to enjoy one of the sub- 
stantial breakfasts for which Larry Hunt’s place was 
noted. There was a chill of autumn in the air, and 
they paused a moment before entering the spacious 
dining room to warm themselves by the big Franklin 
stove in the office. 

As they did so, they overhead the voices of Jim 
Benner and Lord Matterson, who sat upon a deacon 
seat in the far comer of the office in an apparently 
confidential chat. 

Why, really, you surprise me,” they heard the 
Englishman remark. “ I was told that the game in 
this country was not at all dangerous.” 

I reckon ye wouldn’t think so if ye ever ran into 
a bull moose when he was on th’ rampage,” responded 


20 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Benner. “ I tell ye they air a fearful critter. They 
alius charge in a straight line, an’ don’t mind knocking 
over a pretty good-sized tree, if it happens to come in 
their way.” 

‘‘ I fancy that’s where you get your expression ‘ as 
strong as moose ’ ? ” said the Englishman. 

“ Jest exactly where it comes from,” returned Ben- 
ner, promptly. 

“ By Jove ! a moose must be ’most as bad as a 
rhinoceros,” said Lord Matterson. 

“ Wuss — he’s more’n twice es bad,” declared Ben- 
ner, with conviction. Ye see,” he explained, “ a 
rhinoceros hes only one small horn, while a moose hes 
two on ’em an’ mighty big ones at thet. There’s only 
one safe way t’ hunt ’em,” he added. 

“ What’s that ? ” inquired the Englishman, eagerly. 

‘‘ Th’ minute a sport sees a moose,” explained Ben- 
ner, ‘‘ he should climb th’ fust tree he can come to. 
Then he can pick ’im off kind o’ safe like.” 

“ But, really, I should think that would be beastly 
awkward, don’t you know,” expostulated the English- 
man. 

“ It’s alius better t’ be safe then t’ be sorry,” 
returned Benner, sagely. The old logger paused, and 
puffed at his cob pipe, reflectively. 

“ They was another English lord here about two 
year ago,” he said presently, in a reminiscent tone. 

“ By Jove! that’s surprising,” declared Lord Matter- 
son, with interest. “ I fancied I was the first English 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


21 


hunter to enter this country. Do you remember his 
name ? 

“ I can’t jest recollect it now,” returned Benner, 
“ but it was somethin’ like Lord Bastem-Busterman.” 

Never heard of him,” declared the Englishman, 
promptly. 

Poor feller ! ” sighed Benner, regretfully. “ I alius 
felt sorry for ’im.” 

Did anything happen to him ? ” asked Lord Mat- 
terson. 

“ Killed,” announced Benner, solemnly. 

Killed ! ” echoed the Englishman, incredulously. 

“Ye see he was chased by a moose one day an’ was 
so intent on gittin’ away that th’ fust thing he knew 
he run pell mell inter a village of Injuns.” 

“ Indians ! ” exclaimed the Englishman. “ That’s 
deuced queer. I was told that there were no wild 
Indians in Maine.” 

“ I recken the feller that told ye that was never up 
in this ’ere region,” declared Benner. “ I never could 
see what satisfaction any man could git from lyin’ to 
a stranger,” he added, virtuously. 

“ Nor I,” agreed the Englishman. “ But what did 
the Indians do to the poor lud ? ” 

“ Killed ’im an’ scalped ’im,” declared Benner. 

“ Scalped him ! ” exclaimed the Englishman, in hor- 
rified tones. “ That was — er — er — don’t you know 
— atrocious.” 

“ Thet’s what it was,” agreed Benner. “ We got 


22 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


up a party woodsmen an’ guides an’ went arter 
’em,” he continued. ‘‘ Thar was a fairly lively fight 
when we came up with ’em, but they air slippery crit- 
ters, an’ the most on ’em got away — all ’cept one on 
’em. He was slightly wounded an’ we captured ’im. 
Some o’ th’ boys wanted t’ string ’im up right thar; 
but he was a little undersized feller fer an Injun, an’ 
so we finally let ’im off. I alius suspicioned though 
that he was th’ feller that lifted Lord Eastern’s hair.” 

“ What did you do with him ? ” inquired the English- 
man, with deep interest. 

“ Oh,” returned Benner, carelessly, ‘‘ we kept ’im 
an’ tamed ’im. He’s here now. Larry’s a-usin’ of 
’im fer a guide.” 

A — guide ! ” gasped the astonished Englishman. 

“ Yes,” returned Benner, carelessly. “ He makes a 
mighty good one. Great fellers in th’ woods — them 
Injuns.” 

“ Where is he now ? ” inquired the Englishman, with 
a quick glance about the office. 

Oh, he’s lookin’ arter a gang o’ sports,” responded 
Benner. ‘‘ They’ll all be in t’ breakfast purty soon.” 

“ And do you mean to tell me that the management 
of this camp is willing to turn sportsmen over to the 
tender mercies of such a man ? ” inquired the English- 
man, indignantly. 

“ That’s what it is,” asserted Benner. Why, he’s 
be’n tamed, I tell ye. Bless ye, he’s jest es docile now 
es a spring lamb.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


23 


‘‘ Perhaps/’ said the Englishman, grudgingly, ** but 
who can tell when his wild nature and thirst for blood 
may assert itself again, and overcome all the results 
of your training?” 

“No danger et all,” asserted Benner, confidently. 
“ He’s thoroughly broke t’ halter, an’ will eat out o’ 
yer hand.” 

“ You may be very sure he’ll not eat out of mine,” 
returned the Englishman, with emphasis. 

Benner was about to make some reply to this when 
the tinkle of a bell in the dining-room announced that 
breakfast was served, and the members of the party, 
who had listened with broad grins to the conversation 
between Lord Matterson and Benner, filed in and took 
their places at the well-loaded tables. 

“ I take it your friend, Benner, is something of a 
Munchausen,” remarked General Carver, as he helped 
himself to a piece of the venison steak. 

“ He’s one of the worst practical jokers in the Maine 
woods,” responded Norman. “ Why, when I first went 
into the lumber camp at Quadrate Lake, he nearly 
persuaded me to tap trees for spruce gum. I might 
very likely have done so, if one of the men hadn’t 
given me a quiet tip that opened my eyes.” 

“ He’s certainly one of the most cheerful liars I 
ever saw,” declared Hamilton, who sat at the same 
table with them. “ The fires of a righteous indig- 
nation are still mantling the brow of my noble lord,” 
he added, glancing across to a small table on the oppo- 


24 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


site side of the big room, where Lord Matterson was 
eating his breakfast. 

“ He’ll be loaded for bear all right if he associates 
much with Jim Benner,” declared Norman. Jim has 
a most vivid imagination, and has no conscience in 
using it. I think it was a trifle tough, though, for him 
to put good old Sol Soc in such a light,” he added, 
indignantly. 

“ I quite agree with you,” returned Hamilton, ‘‘ but 
I learned when I first came into the big woods that, 
when the natives were indulging in their peculiar brand 
of humor, it was never wise for a tenderfoot to butt in.” 

“ That’s right,” agreed Norman. “ If he did, there 
would be something coming to him without any delay.” 

At this moment the door opened and the cook, Felix 
Lamarre, came into the dining-room with a big dish 
of boiled potatoes. Catching sight of Norman, he 
hastily deposited it upon the nearest table and rushed 
forward with outstretched hands. 

‘‘Hooraw! M’sieu Carvarre,” he cried, joyfully. 
“ Ba Joe, I laugh ma’se’f in ma face, for glad to see 
you on top dis place.” 

“ And I’m glad to see you again, Felix,” responded 
Norman, heartily. “ This is my father. General Car- 
ver; Mr. Lamarre.” 

I’m very glad to see you, Mr. Lamarre,” said the 
General, extending a cordial hand. “ I’ve heard my 
son speak of you very often.” 

“ You are meeting the best cook in Maine, in or 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


25 


out of the woods,” declared Norman, with conviction. 

“ I can well believe it,” replied the General, glancing 
over the table, ‘‘ if this is a fair sample of his skill.” 

“ Oh, dis not’ing, jess nothing ’t all,” responded 
P'elix, deprecatingly. He delivered his potatoes to the 
proper table, and started to return to the kitchen. 
Pausing a moment with his hand on the knob, he 
turned for another look at Norman, “ Ba Gripe, 
M’sieu Carvarre,” he said, “ you stay here long, I 
show you som’t’ing.” 


CHAPTER III 


THE ADVENT OF BILL SPROGGS 

There was a tramp of feet and the sound of voices 
in the office, and, presently, a crowd of ‘‘ sports 
came laughing and joking into the room. Behind 
them stalked the tall, straight form of Sol Soc, nearly 
filling the doorway. A light of recognition came into 
his eyes as he caught sight of Norman, and he has- 
tened across the room to shake hands with him. 

‘‘How do?’’ he said. 

“ Never better in my life,” declared Norman. “ I’m 
mighty glad to see you again, Sol,” he added. 

“ Me glad,” said the Indian, briefly. 

“ So you hired out with Larry Hunt, too,” continued 
Norman. “ He seems to have raided our old driving 
crew right and left.” 

“ Him want guide. Me like hunt. Me come,” 
explained the Indian. 

“ And I’m glad you did,” said Norman, heartily. 
“ It’s very evident that Larry knew where to go for 
good men. This is my father,” he added, turning to 
General Carver. 

“ How do ? ” said the Indian, stiffly. 

“ I’m glad to know you,” said the General, shaking 
26 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


27 


him warmly by the hand. “ I’ve heard my son speak 
of you so many times, I have felt quite acquainted with 
you. I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving his 
life.” 

“ He saveum mine,” returned the Indian, in evident 
embarrassment, and, turning abruptly, he stalked away 
to a seat at the table near the center of the room where 
the members of his party were eating breakfast. 

“ Just look at the noble lord ! ” exclaimed Hamilton 
suddenly. 

The group at the table followed his gaze, and saw 
the Englishman eyeing the Indian in open-mouthed 
amazement. It was very evident that the massive form 
and swarthy face of the red man had made a strong 
impression upon him. He scarcely took his eyes from 
Sol during the remainder of the meal, and as Nor- 
man and his father came out into the office they found 
him in the act of calling Jim Benner, who was smok- 
ing his pipe on the deacon seat, to task. 

‘‘ Aw, is that the tame Indian you told me about ? ” 
he demanded, indignantly. 

‘‘ Th’ same feller,” replied Benner, coolly. 

“ But, blast it all, don’t you know, you said he was 
a small man. This fellow is a giant.” 

‘‘ You air mistaken,” declared Benner, imperturb- 
ably. “ I didn’t say he was a little man — Injuns air 
never little men — I said he were a little man fer an 
Injun.” 

‘‘ Come to think of it, I suspect that was what you 


28 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


did say/' conceded the Englishman, ‘‘but, by Jove! 
don’t you know, if that fellow is a little Indian I fancy 
a big one would be something — aw* — prodigious.” 

“ They certainly air — regulor busters,” declared 
Benner, solemnly. “ I hope no one on ’em will ever 
ketch ye unawares in th’ deep woods.” 

“ Not if I see him first,” asserted the Englishman, 
/ervently. 

“ I should think you’d be ashamed, Jim, to string 
an unsuspecting stranger in that way,” said Nor- 
man, indignantly, when the Englishman had taken his 
departure. 

“ Nary a bit,” replied the unabashed Benner. 
“ When a sprig o’ royalty comes down here fer sport 
an’ strange adventure it’s our bounden duty to see 
that his royal nibs gits his money’s wuth. Why, Pete 
Bedotte tells me thet ’ere feller hes hunted tigers in 
India. Things around here would seem mighty tame 
to ’im, if we didn’t tone ’em up a bit.” 

“ I reckon you will do it all right, Jim,” declared 
Norman, dryly. 

“ I don’t want you to feel bothered with me, Nor- 
man,” said the General, pausing in the doorway. “ I’ll 
take care of myself. I’m not much of a deer-hunter, 
but I shall enjoy strolling along the old logging roads 
and picking up a few partridges.” 

“ So would I,” said Norman, eagerly. “ I’ll go 
along with you.” 

“ All right,” returned the General, with evident sat- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


29 


isfaction. I shall be glad to have you, if you are 
content with my slow-going pace.” 

Soon after, with shotgun in hand, they were making 
their way along an old woods road that wound its 
devious way along the banks of the Sebois River. A 
heavy growth of evergreen fringed its sides. They 
had not proceeded far when they started a flock of 
partridges and followed them into a dense growth of 
firs, in which they had sought refuge. General Carver 
was taking aim to shoot one of them when there came 
a sharp report from a neighboring thicket. 

The General dropped his shotgun, and put both hands 
to his head. 

‘‘Are you hurt, father?” cried Norman, rushing 
forward, pale with alarm. 

“No, I think not,” responded the General, “ but it 
was a close call. I felt that bullet singe my hair.” 

He took off his cap, and showed Norman a bullet 
hole through the center of it. 

“ Here you ! ” shouted Norman at the top of his 
voice to the invisible sportsman. “ What do you think 
you are shooting at ? ” 

There was a parting of the bushes, and a wild-eyed 
young man, wearing an enormous pair of spectacles, 
and carrying a Winchester rifle, put in an appearance. 

“ Good heavens ! ” he cried, in a tremulous voice, 
“ What have I done ? ” 

The newcomer was trembling in every limb. “ I — I 
thought it was a deer,” he panted, breathlessly- 


30 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ And your inexcusable error came very near cost- 
ing me my life,” responded the General, sternly. “ If 
your bullet had come an inch lower I should be dead.” 
He held out his cap and pointed to the hole in it. 

That’s how near you came to being a murderer.” 

‘‘ But — really — I — I didn’t — ” began the young 
man. 

“ Of course you didn’t mean to,” interrupted the 
General, sharply, “but if you had shot a little lower 
all your regrets could not have brought me back to 
life. No man has a right to carry a gun in the woods 
who does not know how to use it, and no man knows 
how to use a gun, who does not make it a practice 
to see clearly and distinctly everything he shoots at. 
These woods are full of hunters, and moving bushes 
are quite as apt to come from them as from deer.” 

“ I know, sir,” admitted the young man, humbly, 
“ I was very, very careless. I owe you a thousand 
apologies.” 

“ I hope this will be a lesson to you,” said the Gen- 
eral. “ Don’t ever fire a gun again, as long as you 
live, until you know positively what you are shoot- 
ing at.” 

“ I assure you I never will,” declared the young 
man, earnestly. 

Very much crestfallen, he turned and made his way 
up the tote-road, and the General and Norman resumed 
their hunting. They returned to the camp at dinner 
time with a dozen fine, plump partridges. As they 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


31 


entered their little cabin, Fred Warner put in an appear- 
ance with a pail of spring water. 

I reckon you might find a use for this,” he said, 
as he deposited it upon the washstand. 

“ Thank you, Fred. You are always thoughtful of 
others,” returned Norman, gratefully, as he helped 
himself to a drink of the cool water. Sit down, 
Fred. I have something to tell you.” 

Fred seated himself upon one of the beds, and lis- 
tened attentively while Norman related the episode of 
the forenoon that had so nearly cost General Carver 
his life. 

“ That was old Goggle-eye! ” he exclaimed, as Nor- 
man finished. 

Old Goggle-eye,” repeated the General, in some 
perplexity. ‘‘ And who, pray, is he ? ” 

“ He’s a fellow from the South named Henry 
Muir,” explained Fred. “ The fellows at the camp 
call him Old Goggle-eye on account of the big spec- 
tacles he wears. You know the Sebois River runs 
almost due North and South, while the tote-road that 
crosses it runs East and West. That divides this 
country into four distinct sections. In the morning, 
when the sports come out, the first thing they ask is 
where Old Goggle-eye went, for he is an early riser, 
and generally gets the start of the others. When I 
tell them, they always go somewhere else. In fact,” 
he concluded, with a laugh, “ one of my principal duties 
is to keep a daily tab on the movements of Old Goggle- 


32 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


eye. If I had seen you when you went out I should 
have warned you.” 

“ I take it he’s a pretty dangerous fellow,” com- 
mented the General. 

Worse than a wild man,” assented Warner. 
“ Makes a practice of shooting at every moving bush 
or leaf he sees.” 

Well,” said the General, with conviction, “ I am 
inclined to think he will be a little more careful in the 
future.” 

“ Perhaps he will,” responded Warner, doubtfully, 
“ but the chances are it won’t last him more than 
over to-morrow. The guides are getting pretty shy of 
him.” 

As they entered the big camp for dinner, they found 
Lord Matterson sitting in the office, looking tired and 
dejected. 

‘‘ Well, what luck this morning? ” inquired the Gen- 
eral. 

Simply beastly ! ” returned the Englishman, wea- 
rily. ‘‘ I was walking along with my guide smoking 
my pipe when I looked across a little ravine to the side 
of a ridge, and standing there, big as life, was a beau- 
tiful big buck. I called out to my guide, ‘ Just look 
at that. Bill,’ and don’t you know, when I looked again, 
he was gone.” 

Bill or the buck? ” inquired Norman, with a laugh. 

“ Why, the buck, of course,” returned the English- 
man, impatiently. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


33 


People don’t usually do much talking when they 
are still-hunting for deer/’ said the General. 

‘‘ So my guide told me,” acknowledged the English- 
man. “ I fancy, don’t you know, he was quite vexed 
with me.” 

“ I wonder that you saw a deer at all if you were 
smoking,” remarked Fred Warner. “ They are won- 
derfully keen-scented.” 

“ It’s very evident that I have very much to learn,” 
conceded the Englishman, with a sigh. 

“No more than any one who makes his first trip to 
the big Maine woods,” said the General. 

At this moment the door of the big office swung 
open to admit a new comer. He wore a flaming red 
toque, a gorgeously colored mackinaw, and long home- 
spun leggings with green and white stripes. He car- 
ried a Winchester rifle on his shoulder. His smile 
was cordial and expansive, seeming to include the whole 
world in its mellow scope. 

“ How air ye — gentlemen,” he said, beaming cor- 
dially upon the occupants of the office. “ My name 
is Bill Sproggs — perhaps ye may hev heard o’ me. 
Just come over from Sourdnahunk Lake. Great hunt- 
ing over there, I tell ye. Deer fairly bumpin’ into one 
another. I slipped out afore breakfast day afore yes- 
terday and got three as handsome bucks es ye ever 
laid yer eyes on. I tell ye they was dandies.” 

“ You were fortunate,” commented the General. 

“ Wal, ye see, ye hev to know how to go arter ’em,’ 


34 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


said Sproggs, modestly. ‘‘ Don’t make no difference 
how thick deer is if ye don’t know how t’ git ’em,” 
he added, sagely. 

“ So I’ve observed,” remarked Hamilton. ‘‘ Didn’t 
see any game on your way here, did you? ” he added. 

‘‘ Yes,” replied Sproggs, promptly. “ I counted 
twenty deer an’ one moose on my way across. Of 
course,” he added, “ everyone wouldn’t hev seen that 
many; but, bless ye, I’m used to it. There’s mighty 
little thet goes on in the woods thet escapes my atten- 
tion.” 

“ I think. General, this is the very man we want for 
a guide,” said Hamilton, taking General Carver aside. 

“ Rather inclined to blow his own horn, isn’t he ? ” 
objected the General. 

“Yes, I know,” admitted Hamilton; “but that is a 
failing some of the best of them have.” 

“ Well, go ahead and engage him if you think best,” 
acquiesced the General. 

“ By the way, you haven’t any objection to having 
Lord Matterson go along with us, have you ? ” 

“ Not the slightest.” 

“ You see,” explained Hamilton, “ the poor fellow 
is terribly depressed over his failure this morning — 
scared away the best buck that has been seen round 
here this season. I think it would cheer him up a 
bit if we took him along with us.” 

“ I should be very glad to have him go,” said the 
General, heartily. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


35 


The remainder of the day, following dinner, was 
spent by General Carver and Norman in trout-fishing 
along the Sebois. They returned at night with hand- 
some strings. 

The following morning a jolly party of sports were 
gathered at the corner of the big camp while Fred 
Warner tested the shooting qualities of their rifles. 
Against a mammoth hemlock tree, some distance up 
the tote-road in the edge of the big woods, a target 
had been erected, and Norman watched with amaze- 
ment. Fred, using the rifles of different makes and 
different calibres that were handed him by members 
of the party, put shot after shot in the bull’s eye. 

“ Your friend, Warner, is an excellent shot,” declared 
General Carver to Norman, as he watched this per- 
formance. 

‘‘ Yes,” responded Norman. He’s been accustomed 
to the use of firearms from a child.” 

“ Pretty good work, my boy,” declared Hamilton, 
as Fred laid aside the last rifle. “ I imagine there’s 
only one other man here who can do as well. Come, 
Sproggs, let us see you shoot a little.” He turned to 
the self-proclaimed hunter, but Sproggs was busily at 
work rubbing his eye with a big bandanna handker- 
chief. 

I’d like mighty well to accommodate ye, Mr. Ham- 
ilton,” he said, “ but you see I jest got a bug in my 
eye. I’m sorry. I just love to shoot; but I reckon 
I’ll have to try it some other time.” 


36 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


All right/’ returned Hamilton, good-naturedly. 
‘‘ A bug in the eye is certainly bad for a marksman. 
Well, try it some other time, but bear in mind that 
this young man has given you a mighty good stunt.” 

“ Yes,” admitted Sproggs, grudgingly. He’s a 
good shot.” 

‘‘ I call him a crack-a-jack,” declared Hamilton, with 
conviction. 

Say, Bill,” called out Jim Benner, as Sproggs 
returned to the office, ‘‘ Is thet ’ere bug still a-bitin’ 
of ye?” 

None o’ yer business,” returned Sproggs, testily. 

Sho ! Sho ! ” expostulated Benner, good-naturedly. 

Don’t git skittish. I know what a mighty mean trick 
it is for a scurvy little bug t’ go an’ bump into a feller’s 
eye jest es he is a-gittin’ ready t’ break th’ world’s 
shootin’-record.” 

I’ve known men o’ your age who got rich a-tendin’ 
of their own affairs,” snapped Sproggs. 

“ I’m goin’ down to th’ legislatur’ next winter, 
Bill,” continued Benner, “ an’ git ’em t’ pass a law 
forbiddin’ bugs from a pesterin’ of ye when ye air 
jest a-pantin’ t’ shoot.” 

I reckon ye’ll hev ’bout all ye can do t’ keep th’ 
bugs off from Jim Benner,” retorted Sproggs. 

“ It’s sad t’ think what’ll be writ on your tombstun,” 
continued Benner, in a lugubrious voice. “ It’ll read 
somethin’ like this: 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


37 


“Here lies Bill Sproggs, a hunter bold 
Fer whom this grave was dug, 

He’d surely ben th’ world’s best shot, 

But fer a pesky bug.” 

“ You think you’re mighty smart, Jim Benner,” 
growled Sproggs. You make people tired with your 
attempts at cheap wit.” 

“ Don’t be for gittin’ riled. Bill,” returned Benner, 
blandly. ‘‘If* ye do, th’ fust thing ye know ye’ll be 
losin’ thet universal smile, an’ without thet ye wouldn’t 
amount to a pinch o’ goose grease in a barrel o’ lye.” 

“ There’s more’n one barrel o’ lie in you, Jim,” 
responded Sproggs, his face relaxing into a grin at 
his own humor — “ notwithstandin’ o’ th’ fact thet 
ye’ve ben a-shootin’ it round promiscuous-like for the 
last twenty years.” 

“ Which reminds me thet you hev’n’t done any 
shootin’ et all. Bill,” responded Benner, calmly. 

“ When the time comes I’ll try it out with you at 
any rate,” retorted Sproggs. 

“ All right,” rejoined Benner, as he went smiling 
into the office. “ Jess let me know th’ day an’ th’ hour 
an’ I’ll be with ye. I do hope it won’t be long, though,” 
he added. “ Delays alius make me powerful narvous. 
But,” he added, magnanimously, “ I don’t want t’ 
crowd ye. I want t’ give ye plenty o’ time t’ git thet 
ere bug out o’ your eye.” 


CHAPTER IV 


THE TRAIL “ TO THE SPRING 

** Go carefully in each others’ tracks and make jest 
es little noise es ye kin,” cautioned Bill Sproggs, as 
he led the way with gingerly tread, along an old tote- 
road, followed closely in single file, by General Carver, 
Norman, Hamilton, and Lord Matterson. A deer 
is a pesky critter,” he added, sagely. “ If he hears 
th’ least strange sound he vamooses, right lively.” 

You’re right,” said Hamilton. ‘‘ Nothing was 
ever gained by hunting deer with a brass band.” 

“ I alius thought my great success in huntin’ was 
due t’ my ability t’ sneak round through th’ woods es 
quiet es a mouse,” continued Sproggs, complacently. 

‘‘No doubt,” returned General Carver, dryly, as a 
dead stick broke with a loud snap under the guide’s 
tread, “but that appears to be something of a lost 
art.” 

“ By Jove ! Don’t you know, I fancy you make as 
much noise as I do; and that man who guided me 
yesterday — beastly plain-spoken fellow he was ! — 
told me I was — aw — worse than any elephant,” said 
the Englishman. 

“ Th’ very best on us can’t help makin’ a leetle noise 
38 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


39 


now an’ then, no matter how careful we be,” asserted 
Sproggs, magnanimously. 

‘‘ If you gents will stay here in th’ road a spell I’ll 
jest circle out a bit an’ see if I can’t start a deer your 
way. Jest remember if one should show up not t’ 
shoot towards the side of the road I went in on.” 

Sproggs turned from the wood road and was speed- 
ily lost to sight in the thick evergreen growth. 

“ That’s the kind of hunting that has caused more 
than one man to be mistaken for a deer, and shot,” 
declared General Carver, when Sproggs was out of 
sight. 

That’s true. Still I don’t believe there’s one of 
us here who would be guilty of firing a gun without 
knowing what we were aiming at,” said Hamilton. 

“ I should certainly hope not,” returned the Gen- 
eral. 

Some distance beyond them in the timber growth, 
the members of the party could distinctly hear Sproggs 
as he forced his way through the thick underbrush. 

‘‘ He’s worse than a threshing machine,” declared 
Hamilton, with disgust. 

‘‘ Aw, but, don’t you know, he said he was going 
to scare the deer so they would come our way,” inter- 
posed the Englishman. 

‘‘ I reckon he’ll scare them all right,” declared Nor- 
man. 

What’s that ! ” he exclaimed suddenly, as two 
shots came from the direction in which Sproggs had 


40 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


gone. Almost immediately following them came a 
rapid threshing about in the underbrush, indicating 
the hasty passage of some large animal. 

“ Perhaps he’s shot a deer,” suggested Norman. 

“ What good would that do us ? ” demanded the 
Englishman. 

“ Why,” explained Hamilton, ‘‘ he’s our guide, under 
our pay, so of course, everything he shoots belongs to 
us. That’s the rule of the big woods.” 

“ By Jove ! I just fancy myself, don’t you know, 
transporting another man’s game ! ” said the English- 
man, indignantly. 

‘‘ Most people aren’t so particular,” remarked Nor- 
man. 

‘‘ But really, don’t you know, I’m hunting for sport, 
not for meat,” exclaimed the Englishman. 

‘‘ In other words, you are a true sportsman,” 
remarked Hamilton. “ Still I’ve always heard that 
Englishmen had a love of killing, and that they were 
quite as ready to try their marksmanship on a field- 
sparrow as on a lion.” 

I’ll admit that we’ve never been over-fastidious as 
to the nature of our game — so long as it was a live 
mark,” admitted the Englishman. 

“ What did you get ? ” asked Hamilton of Sproggs, 
who at this moment came into the road from a thicket 
of firs. 

“ I jest got a crack at a bustin’ big buck,” declared 
Sproggs, with enthusiasm. There’s his mark,” he 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


41 


added, exhibiting a large maple leaf with some drops 
of blood upon it. ‘‘ It’s evident he was hard hit, but 
the critter managed t’ git away from me arter all.” 

“ I’m astonished,” said Hamilton, severely, '' that a 
hunter of your experience should let a deer get away 
from him.” 

Wal, ye see the sun was plumb in my eyes,” com- 
plained Sproggs, “ an’ besides thet, afore I could draw 
a good bead on ’im he heard ye talkin’ up here, an’ 
thet started ’im up like a streak.” 

“ But you fired two shots at him,” suggested the 
General. 

“ Yes,” admitted Sproggs, ‘‘ but he was a-dodgin’ 
around among the trees so pesky lively thet I didn’t 
hev a fair chance with th’ second one.” 

“ And Larry was all out of venison, too,” added 
Norman, regretfully. 

‘‘ Oh, we’ll git something yet — never fear. These 
’ere woods air plumb full o’ deer,” asserted Sproggs, 
confidently. 

“ It’s very strange that you should have got within 
range of a deer with all that noise you were making,” 
declared Hamilton. We could follow you distinctly 
even back here.” 

“ I did th’ best I could,” returned Sproggs, in an 
aggrieved tone. ‘‘ I want ye t’ know thet was a mighty 
tough place t’ git through.” 

‘‘I dare say,” conceded Hamilton, wearily. 

Presently they came to a sign with a finger pointing 


42 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


along a spotted trail. “To the Spring,” it said. 

“ By Jove! Vm glad to see that, don’t you know,” 
declared the Englishman, heartily. “ Aw, Mr. Sproggs,” 
he added, addressing the guide, “ is that spring a good 
one?” 

“ A dandy,” responded Sproggs, promptly. 

“ Clear?” 

“ As a crystal. Boils right up out o’ th’ white sand.” 

“ Cold?” 

“ As ice,” assured Sproggs. “ There’s no better 
water in Maine.” 

“ Well,” responded the Englishman, “ let’s get there 
as soon as we can. My tongue’s hanging out.” 

“ All right,” responded Sproggs, “ We’ll follow along 
this spotted line.” 

“ How far away is it ? ” inquired the General. 

“ Well — er — really, I couldn’t be quite sure,” 
returned Sproggs, with some hesitation. “Ye see,” 
he explained, “ it’s some time since I was there. It 
may be a mile; it may be a trifle more.” 

“ Well, lead on,” said the General. 

Sproggs immediately followed along the spotted trail 
with the other members of the party close at his heels. 
The way, however, proved to be a tedious one, twist- 
ing and turning in a most aggravating manner. Sev- 
eral times the party was on the point of abandoning 
the search when a fresh sign with its hand pointing 
“to the spring” would stir them on to renewed 
endeavor. Presently they paused in a dense swamp 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


43 


over whose labyrinth of windfalls they were making 
their slow way with much difficulty. 

“ I think you said it was only a mile to that spring/’ 
said Hamilton, wiping the perspiration from his face. 

“ That was the best of my recollection,” declared 
Sproggs. “You will remember, though, I said es 
how it might be more.” 

“ Well, I reckon it is, all right,” responded Hamil- 
ton, with conviction. “ Why, we’ve been more than 
three miles already.” 

“ Distance in the woods air mighty deceivin’,” 
returned Sproggs, oracularly. 

They were nearly half through the swamp when they 
started several deer. All had a fleeting view of the 
graceful creatures as they bounded away through the 
forest, their tails straight in the air, like so many white 
flags. The appearance of this game had a most start- 
ling effect upon Sproggs. He jumped up and down 
in a very frenzy of excitement. “ Shoot ! shoot ! 
quick ! quick 1 ” he gasped. Hamilton and the English- 
man responded; but General Carver and Norman 
watched the deer out of sight without any attempt to 
shoot at them. As for Sproggs, he had apparently 
forgotten that he even carried a rifle. 

“ I’m sorry,” said the General, when the game had 
disappeared in the deep recesses of the swamp, “ I 
didn’t fire a shot. I was in a trance.” 

“ So was I,” admitted Norman. 

“ But where was our great hunter, and crack shot? ” 


44 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


continued Hamilton, turning to Sproggs. ‘‘ Didn't 
get another bug in your eye, did you? ” he asked, sar- 
castically. 

No,” said Sproggs, in an injured tone, “ I under- 
stood you wanted t’ shoot your own game. Wal, Fve 
gin ye a good chance. Shown ye the game in close 
range. Ye can't blame me if ye failed t’ git it. Two 
on ye didn't fire et all, an’ th’ other two missed.” 

‘‘ Don't you be so sure. By Jove, I feel pretty cer- 
tain, don't you know, that I hit something,” objected 
the Englishman. 

‘‘If ever a man had buck fever, you had it just now, 
Sproggs. You had it worse than the General or Nor- 
man,” declared Hamilton, with conviction. “ I’ve had 
it myself, and I know all the symptoms.” 

“ You air dead wrong,” responded Sproggs. “ I 
don't deserve any sech^ charge es thet — me who has 
hunted deer for the past twenty years.” 

“ I wouldn't want to be obliged to live a week on 
all you ever killed,” responded Hamilton, tartly. 

“ I reckon we'd better follow up this trail, and see 
what the lord has shot,” suggested Sproggs, with an 
evident desire to change the subject. 

They followed the course which the deer had taken 
for a short distance, and presently came upon the body 
of a small, spotted fawn, which had been shot through 
the heart. 

“ Hurrah ! ” shouted the Englishman, exultantly. 
“ I felt sure I hit something.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


45 


You're welcome to all the glory that attaches to 
it," declared Hamilton, in a tone of disgust. 

“ That's too bad," exclaimed the General. 

“Where can we hide it?" asked Norman. 

“ ‘ Too bad ' ; ‘ hide it,' " echoed the Englishman, 
indignantly. “ What do you mean ? Isn't that a 
deer ? " 

“ A very young one," admitted Hamilton. 

“ And I shot it, didn't I ? " pursued Lord Matterson. 

“No one else appears disposed to contest the fact," 
said the General. 

“ Well," said the Englishman, decisively, “ I shall 
take it home with me. It will make a mighty hand- 
some mount." 

“ You had better look out that the boys at the camp 
don't see you with it," suggested Norman. 

“ I certainly shall make no effort to conceal it. I 
fancy that was a pretty good shot," said the English- 
man, complacently. 

“ Well, you'd better leave your trophy here, and 
get it when we come back. I am pretty thirsty," sug- 
gested Hamilton. 

“ All right," agreed the Englishman. “ Lead on, 
Sproggs." 

They made their way out of the swamp, following 
up the side of the ridge along the line of spotted trees, 
and encouraged by the finding of another sign with a 
hand pointing “ to the spring." 

“ I'm sorry ! ” exclaimed , Hamilton, regretfully. 


46 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


It’s my luck. That fellow I shot at back there was 
a beautiful big buck. There,” he added, as a rifle shot 
was heard on the opposite side of the swamp, “ I’ll bet 
some one has got him.” 

“ Their air lots more of ’em in these ’ere woods,” 
declared Sproggs, consolingly. “ I wish I had ye up 
t’ Sourdnahunk, though,” he added. “ Ye’d hev t’ 
jump round right lively t’ keep ’em from bumping 
inter ye.” 

“ It was all my fault,” admitted Hamilton, discon- 
solately. “ At that distance I should have been able 
to hit him with a stone.” 

‘‘ Here’s the spring,” announced Sproggs, pointing 
to a knoll near the crest of the ridge, in which was a 
box sunk in the earth with a cover secured by leather 
hinges. 

“ Rather a dry-looking place for a spring,” com- 
mented the General. 

Hamilton kneeled and pulled up the cover. “ Wel\, 
I’ll be blowed 1 ” he gasped, in surprise. 

The spring was there all right, but it was only an 
ordinary spiral bed spring, and not the flow of cool 
water they had been anticipating. 

The members of the party looked at each other, and 
laughed a sorry laugh. 

“Stung!” said Norman. 

“ It’s an outrage I — a mighty mean trick ! I fancy 
I’ll never get to understand your peculiar American 
brand of humor,” declared the Englishman. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


47 


“ We’re the victims of a practical joke, all right,” 
admitted Hamilton. “ I thought you said this was 
an extra fine spring of water,” he said, turning to the 
chagrined Sproggs. 

‘‘ Ice cold,” interposed the Englishman. 

‘‘And bubbling right up out of the white sand,” 
added the General. 

“ Ha ! ha ! ” responded Sproggs, with a forced laugh, 
“ I thought es how you’d enjoy the joke.” 

“We do, immensely,” returned Hamilton, coldly. 
“ One, two, three, all laugh,” he continued. 

“ Ha ! ha ! ha ! ” came the mirthless chorus. 

“ And now, Mr. Sproggs,” resumed Hamilton, turn- 
ing to the sheepish-looking guide, “ having enjoyed a 
very hearty laugh at this delicate bit of humor, we 
would thank you to get us out of this scrape in the 
quickest possible way.” 

“ I don’t know of any better way back than the one 
we cum in by,” said Sproggs. “ Besides, you know 
we’ve got to get Lord Matterson’s deer.” 

“Certainly. It would be a shame to miss that. 
Lead on,” responded Hamilton. 

The party made its way down the side of the ridge 
in the direction of the swamp, but had gone but a 
short distance, when they met Fred Warner coming 
towards them with a Winchester rifle on his shoulder. 

“ I’m glad to see you, Fred,” said Norman, cor- 
dially. “What luck?” 

“ Oh, I got a very good buck back here a little way,” 


48 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


returned Warner. “ I was very glad to get him, too,’’ 
he added, for Larry was all out of meat.” 

“ We’ve been to the spring,” said Hamilton, sol- 
emnly. 

“ Indeed,” laughed Fred, “ I’m sorry I didn’t see 
you sooner. I’d have warned you about that. It’s 
one of Barney O’Connor’s jokes,” he continued, turn- 
ing to Norman. 

“ Barney O’Connor,” repeated Norman. I didn’t 
know he was in this region.” 

“Yes,” declared Warner. “ He’s up at Snow Shoe 
Lake now, making arrangements to put in the supply 
of provisions for next spring’s drive. They have to 
be hauled on the snow, you know. He’s liable to be 
down to Larry’s ’most any day.” 

“ If I’d known he was in this country. I’d have sus- 
pected at once who played this prank,” declared Nor- 
man. “ He couldn’t keep out of mischief to save his 
life.” 

“ And now,” interposed General Carver, “ do you 
know where there’s a good spring? We are all very 
thirsty.” 

“ Yes. There’s one very near here. I’ll show you,” 
returned Warner. He led the way down the ridge to 
the side of a small ravine, that made up the ridge, 
where the party found a spring of exceptionally fine 
water. After satisfying their thirst, the members of 
the party spent some time in gathering up “To the 
Spring ” signs, and spotting a broad trail to the spring 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


49 


Fred had shown them, along which they were made 
to do duty. 

“ The next time any one follows these signs, the joke 
will be on Barney,’’ announced Norman, when they 
had completed this task. 

“ And now,” said Hamilton, addressing Warner, 
let us see your buck.” 

Fred cheerfully led the way across the swamp to 
an old woods-road, by the side of which, hung up on 
a tree, which had been bent down for the purpose, 
was a magnificent buck. 

The members of the party were loud in their expres- 
sions of admiration. 

“ He’s a beauty,” declared Hamilton. Must weigh 
nearly two hundred pounds. Where did you get him ? ” 

‘‘ Right here. I shot him just as he was crossing 
the woods-road.” 

“ By George ! ” exclaimed Hamilton, ‘‘ I’ll wager he 
was the one I fired at back in the swamp.” 

“ Very likely,” conceded Warner. 

‘‘ What a beautiful head ! ” continued Hamilton. 
‘‘ Just look at those antlers ! ” 

“ You can have the head if you’d like it,” said 
Warner, magnanimously. ‘‘ All Larry will want is 
the meat.” 

“ You are very kind,” said Hamilton, but I 
shouldn’t need it. I have several at home all mounted 
— all in fact that I have room for.” 

‘‘ Inasmuch as Mr. Hamilton does not care for it. 


50 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


I think I should like it/’ interposed the General. 

‘‘ All right,” said Warner, heartily, “ You’re very 
welcome to it. You can send it out to Patten and 
have it set up if you want to. There’s a man there 
who does very good work.” 

‘‘ That’s exactly what I’ll do,” replied the General. 
And now, Mr. Warner,” asked Hamilton, “ do 
you know of an easy way back to camp ? ” 

This old woods-road leads into another which goes 
directly to the camp. It’s a very good trail all the 
way. Barney purposely made his spotted way ‘ to the 
spring’ as roundabout and difficult as possible,” he 
added, with a laugh. 

The members of the party resumed their tramp under 
Warner’s guidance. They circled out into the swamp 
to give Sproggs a chance to get the Englishman’s spot- 
ted fawn, and arrived back at the camp in good season 
for supper. 



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CHAPTER V 


FRED WARNER GETS HIS CHANCE 

A crowd of guides and tote-teamsters stood on the 
piazza of Larry Hunt’s big camp when Sproggs and 
his party returned under the leadership of Fred War- 
ner. They were at small pains to conceal their disgust 
at the sight of the spotted fawn, which Sproggs carried 
over his shoulder. 

“ Some o’ your fine shootin’ ? ” questioned Benner, as 
Sproggs deposited his burden on the floor of the piazza. 

“ Not on your life,” growled Sproggs. 

** Wal, ye needn’t git riled,” responded Benner. ‘‘ I 
only thought es how it was about your size.” 

Big Sol Soc towered above the men about him, with 
a look of profound contempt on his dark features. 

‘‘ Ugh ! Him baby,” he grunted, as his eyes rested, 
with very evident displeasure, on the carcass of the 
fawn. 

You shootum? ” he asked, turning to Norman. 

‘‘ No,” returned Norman, promptly. 

Good ! me think not,” commented the Indian, 
with very evident relief. 

‘‘ Lord Matterson was the lucky shot,” explained 
Hamilton, and the Englishman turned red with the 
51 


52 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


uncomfortable consciousness that he had lost caste with 
these rough men of the woods. True, they made no 
comment, but the looks they gave him showed very 
clearly that they did not regard the shooting of the 
fawn as a thing to be proud of. Silently they turned 
about and trooped into the office, leaving Lord Matter- 
son feeling very hot and uncomfortable. 

‘‘ One would think from the way those fellows act 
that I had committed the unpardonable sin,’’ he 
remarked to Hamilton. 

‘‘ It isn’t the custom to shoot fawns in this country,” 
was the response. ‘‘ Public sentiment is against it.” 

“ Well, inasmuch as I had no part in forming such 
a sentiment, I don’t see why I should be governed by 
it,” declared the Englishman, doggedly 

“ When in Rome do as the Romans do,” suggested 
Norman. 

‘‘ But I’m not in Rome and these fellows are not 
Romans, don’t you know,” protested the Englishman. 

‘‘ Well, if you’re willing to take your chances, I don’t 
know that we’ve any reason to complain,” said Hamil- 
ton, as they went in to supper. 

“ I reckon we got a gold brick when we hired 
Sproggs,” said Hamilton, as he got with the General 
and Norman in their cosy little camp an hour later.” 

“ I’ll get you a man in ten minutes who’ll tell us all 
about him,” volunteered Norman. 

“ Who,” inquired the General. 

‘‘ Jim Benner.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


53 


“ But isn’t he the man who told those astonishing 
lies to Lord Matterson?” objected Hamilton. 

“Yes,” admitted Norman. He’s a great joker; 
but if I ask him to tell us the facts about Sproggs we 
may depend upon him to give them to us straight.” 

“ I think you’d better get him,” said the General. 

Norman left the little camp and returned soon after 
with the old logger. 

“ Mr. Benner,” said the General, when the veteran 
was seated upon one of the beds, “ we’ve sent for you 
to see what you can tell us about Sproggs.” 

“ I shouldn’t s’pose I could tell ye much, if anything, 
if ye’ve ben in the woods with him a whole day,” 
responded Benner. 

“ He’s a four-flusher, isn’t he ? ” questioned Ham- 
ilton. 

“ Th’ wust that ever came down the pike,” assented 
Benner. He paused and gave a few vigorous puffs at 
his pipe. 

“ It’s pesky funny,” he resumed presently, “ how 
anxious some o’ these ’ere sports air t’ buy sawdust.” 

“ Why ? Can’t he hunt ? ” questioned Hamilton. 

“ Hunt ! ” sniffed Benner, contemptuously. “ Don’t 
believe he ever shot a deer in his life, an’ I reckon th’ 
mere sight of a bull moose would stiffen up his back 
hair.” 

“ I thought he was a crack shot,” remarked the 
General. 

“ He would be if some pesky bug didn’t get in his 


54 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


eye every time there was any call for a show-down/’ 
responded Benner, grimly. 

‘‘ I suspected as much,” said Hamilton, with a laugh. 

Played us for a bunch of suckers, I reckon. Didn’t 
want to shoot, did he ? ” 

“ No, sir, he didn’t,” returned Benner, emphatically. 
‘‘ He knew perfectly well thet he couldn’t hit th’ tree 
thet target was on, let alone th’ target itself.” 

You don’t appear to like him,” suggested the Gen- 
eral. 

‘‘Like him!” sniffed Benner. “It jest makes me 
sick t’ see th’ new sports set round an’ swallow his 
balderdash. I tell ye cheek an’ a big mouth will go 
a long ways with men who air new t’ th’ woods.” 

“ Call us greenhorns,” laughed Hamilton. “ That’s 
what we are, and we’ll not resent it. We probably 
wouldn’t be so gullible at home.” 

“ Probably not,” assented Benner, “ but down here 
there’s alius a crowd o’ sports thet’s mutton — no, pork 
— an’ mighty well roasted for a feller like him. 

“ Why, here’s Larry with six good guides a-workin’ 
for him — quiet sort o’ fellers thet know their busi- 
ness — an’ in walks thet travellin’ wind-bag an’ picks 
up a job right under their noses. Not thet it makes 
any difference t’ me,” he hastened to explain, “ but 
pretty soon ye’ll be leavin’ here without any game, 
a-blamin’ th’ house, an’ ready t’ swear thet thar hain’t 
any deer in this hull kentry. Why, thet feller couldn’t 
guide ye t’ hedgehogs.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


55 


“We suspected as much/’ said the General, “ but 
how about young Warner?” 

Ah, thet’s a boy for ye ! ” responded Benner. 
“ A crack shot, knows th’ country like a book, an’ es 
honest es th’ day is long.” 

“ Would he make a good guide? ” 

“ Fust class, fust class,” responded Benner, heartily. 
“Ye couldn’t find a better one.” 

“ Do you think Mr. Hunt would be willing for us 
to have him?” pursued the General. 

“ Sure he would,” asserted Benner. “ It’s a pesky 
sight easier to pick up fellers t’ do chores then it is 
t’ find good guides.” 

“ We’ll see Mr. Hunt in the morning and arrange 
to get him,” declared the General. 

“Ye won’t make any mistake,” assured Benner. 
“Ye won’t catch him a-takin’ any spotted fawns for 
ye,” he added. “ He’d quit fust.” 

“To tell you the truth, I don’t think Sproggs had 
much stomach for that job,” said Hamilton, “ but Lord 
Matterson was bound that he should do it.” 

“ His royal nibs made a mistake thar,” declared 
Benner. “ It soured the boys, powerfully. If he don’t 
look out, he’ll hear suthin’ drop.” 

“ Oh, I hope not,” said the General, deprecatingly. 

I think he’s a pretty good fellow at heart.” 

“ Mebbe,” returned Benner, doubtfully, as he took 
his departure, “ but he has an all-fired poor way o’ 
showin’ it.” 


56 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Early the following morning, General Carver inter- 
viewed Larry Hunt, and readily arranged to secure 
the services of Fred Warner as a guide. To say that 
the young man was delighted at the change in his 
occupation would be stating it mildly. 

“ I feel that I owe it to you/’ he said, when he com- 
municated the good news to Norman. 

“ No,” said Norman, with a laugh, ‘‘ I’m mighty 
tickled over it, Fred, but you really owe it to yourself 
and to Jim Benner. The old war-horse gave you a 
great send-off.” 

‘‘ Jim has always been a good friend of mine,” said 
Warner, gratefully. ‘‘ Do you remember^ Norman, 
that time we made the fishing trip to Crowley’s mill, 
and how you expressed a wish that we might be able 
to cruise this country together when we’d nothing else 
to do?” 

‘‘ I reckon I’ll never forget it,” said Norman, heartily. 

“ You told me that I’d have to be a little of a guide 
and a cook, but that you would mostly want me for a 
chum,” continued Fred. 

“ That’s what I do,” declared Norman. 

“ Well, I’m ih for the whole combination now,” con- 
tinued Warner. “ I never expected it would come true, 
and I can scarcely make it seem real.” 

“ Everything comes to one who waits,” returned 
Norman, lightly^ ‘‘ and now, old boy, we’ll just give 
our whole attention to having a good time.” 

“ You must excuse me now. I must see Felix, and 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


57 


have him put up our lunches/’ said Warner, sis he 
hurried away to the kitchen. 

The big office was well filled with guides, sports, and 
tote-teamsters, awaiting the ringing of the breakfast 
bell, and Norman derived no little interest in \vatching 
these rugged types of men and listening to their rude 
banter, and stories of the big woods. Presently the 
outside door swung open, and Goggle-eye — always an 
early hunter — put in an appearance. Seating him- 
self on the deacon seat, he rested his Winchester rifle 
across his knees and proceeded to throw the cartridges 
out of its magazine by moving the ejector back and 
forth. He was, apparently, unconscious of the scowl- 
ing looks directed towards him by the guides. Ham- 
ilton, who sat at the end of the room, directly in front 
of the muzzle of his rifle, rose hastily, and moved out 
of the way. 

Mr. Hunt,” he called out in a loud voice to Larry, 
who was standing behind the counter, “ I think it is 
an imposition for any man to pump out his rifle in this 
office. I always do that job myself before I get back 
to camp. Any man who doesn’t know better than to 
do that trick in this crowded room is too careless to 
be at large, and ought to have a guardian appointed.” 

“ Why, my dear sir,” expostulated Goggle-eye, look- 
ing pained and surprised, ‘‘ I’m very sorry if I annoyed 
you.” 

“ Annoyed me! ” thundered Hamilton. “ You have 
deliberately jeopardized the life of every man in this 


58 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


room. Does it ever occur to you that you are not the 
only man in these woods? A man as careless as you 
are in the use of a rifle should never be permitted to 
carry one.” 

‘‘ Mr. Hamilton is right, Mr. Muir,” interposed 
Larry. “ This office is no place to pump out a rifle.” 

“ I'm very sorry. I'm sure, I have given any offense,” 
responded Goggle-eye, in a grieved tone. “ I will 
refrain from doing so again. I'm sure I do not wish 
to endanger any one.” 

“ It's a mericle ye haven't shot some one,” said Jim 
Benner.” 

He did come pretty near it,” said Hamilton. “ Put 
a bullet through General Carver's cap.” 

“ A very unfortunate accident which I very, very 
much regret,” protested Goggle-eye. 

“ A little less regret and a little more care would be 
appreciated by the rest of us,” said Hamilton, tartly. 

“ If ye use care, ye won’t need regrets,” added Ben- 
ner, sagely. 

‘‘Well! Do me eyes desave me?” cried a hearty 
voice, as Norman entered the dining-room. “ I’m glad 
to see ye, me darlint,” and the next moment Norman 
was looking into the merry eyes of Barney O’Connor 
and holding both of his hands. 

“ 'N' it's deloighted Oi am for to see ye,” said the 
Irishman, cordially. 

“ And it seems like old times to see you again, Bar- 
ney,” returned Norman, joyfully. “ Father, this is 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


59 


Barney O’Connor/’ he added, turning to his father. 

“ I’m greatly pleased to know you,” said the Gen- 
eral, shaking the Irishman cordially by the hand. I 
shall always feel that I and my son owe you a great 
debt of gratitude.” 

“ Don’t mintion it,” said Barney, lightly. “ Sure 
the bye was worthy av iverything we cud do for ’im.” 

“ But I fear there were few who would have had 
the courage to do what you did,” rejoined the General. 
“ I assure you we shall never forget it.” 

“ How did you come here, Barney ? ” questioned 
Norman. 

Oi’m arrangin’ for the haulin’ av supplies for next 
Spring’s droive,” explained the Irishman. “ Ye see, 
we hov t’ get ’em in whoile th’ snow is on the ground.” 

‘‘ How long are you to be here ? ” 

“ Oh, two or three days. Ye see Oi am afther 
making arrangemints for teams to do the haulin’.” 

“ Well, keep in the straight and narrow way,” 
admonished Norman. 

‘‘Faith, an’ the stroight and narrow way, is it?” 
returned Barney, good-naturedly. “ An’, begorra, 
whin did ye iver know me to lave it ? ” 

“ In the days of the Windigo,” responded Norman, 
with a laugh. 

Barney gave a grimace. “ Sure,” he said, “ Oi’ve 
forgotten all about him.” 

“ You are blessed with a happy memory,” said Nor- 


man. 


6o 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ The hist of mimories nade wadin’ out now and 
thin,” returned Barney. 

“ There’ll be something doing now,” remarked Nor- 
man to Fred Warner, who sat beside him as he took 
his place at the table. 

“ It’s perfectly safe to count on that,” assented Fred. 
“ Barney couldn’t keep out of mischief if he tried.” 

After breakfast General Carver, accompanied by 
Norman, Hamilton, and Lord Matterson, started out 
for a tramp in the woods under the guidance of 
Fred Warner. “ We’ll work the old woods-roads,” 
announced the new guide. “ The walking will be 
much better j and we’ll be quite as likely to see game.” 
For a time the way led through a dense cedar swamp, 
whose mossy, yielding soil enabled them to go along 
with very little noise. Presently they came to a little 
headland at the end of a horseback which comrrianded 
a view of a large bog or barren, through which a dead 
water wound its sluggish way, and which, as the result 
of a long season of drought, was nearly dry. 

Through the wealth of bayberry and laurel that 
covered the heavy growth of peat that formed the 
surface of this bog were numerous well-defined paths 
which had been made by deer. 

“ We’ll hide behind these firs,” whispered Fred. 

The wind is blowing off the bog, and we are liable 
to see a deer ’most any minute.” 

The members of the party quietly concealed them- 
selves and waited patiently. Presently, on the far side 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


6i 


of the bog, a buck and doe made their appearance, feed- 
ing here and there, and stopping now and then to listen. 
The party waited patiently for them to come within 
range, and then fired simultaneously. The doe fell 
dead; but the buck, although wounded, fled across the 
bog with mighty leaps. There was a second report 
as Fred Watner drew a quick bead on him, and the 
noble animal fell to the ground with a bullet through 
his heart. 

The members of the party were about to follow up 
their game when they got a glimpse of a beautiful 
snow-white buck fleeing along the further side of the 
bog with head thrown back and nostrils distended. 

So far distant was he^ and so rapid was his flight, 
that none of the party attempted to shoot at him. 

“ The albino buck ! ” announced Warner. 

‘‘ And what’s that^ may I ask? ” inquired the English- 
man. 

“ It’s a snow-white buck, an albino, that has been 
seen a number of times this fall, but which appears to 
bear a charmed life. The guides are beginning to get 
almost superstitious about it.” 

‘‘ Let’s see what we got,” urged Hamilton. 

Fred promptly led the way to the bog, and presently 
they came to the body of the doe — an exceedingly 
plump and handsome one. 

“ That’s the one I fired at,” announced the English- 
man. 

“And you got her all right,” responded Warner. 


62 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


You put a bullet right back of the fore-shoulder.” 

I shot at the buck,” said Norman. “ And so did 
I,” announced Hamilton. “ I must have had another 
attack of buck fever, for I didn’t shoot at all,” con- 
fessed the General. 

In a few moments they came to the buck, a fine large 
one with beautiful head and antlers. “ I fired at his 
body,” said Norman. 

So did I,” announced Hamilton, ‘‘ and neither of 
us stopped him,” he added. “ Evidently we owe this 
deer to the skill of our guide. If he hadn’t stopped 
him, our fine buck would have got away.” 

“ I’ll toss you for him,” said Norman, taking a silver 
coin from his pocket. “ What shall it be — heads or 
tails ? ” he asked, as he flipped the coin in the air. 

“ Heads ! ” shouted Hamilton. ‘‘ The buck is yours,” 
announced Norman, as he picked up the coin. 

“By Jove! This is something worth while,” said 
the Englishman, with evident delight and satisfaction. 

“ Young man, you’re a success,” said Hamilton, 
heartily, as he held out his hand to Warner. 


CHAPTER VI 


THE HAZING OF SPROGGS 

‘‘ There’s something in the wind,” declared Norman, 
with conviction, as he and Fred Warner joined Gen- 
eral Carver in the little cabin after supper. 

‘‘ Know all the symptoms, do you ? ” queried Ham- 
ilton, who was making his usual evening call. 

“ Yes,” returned Norman, “ they have been very 
much in evidence. When you see guides and tote- 
teamsters and woodsmen passing winks, and holding 
whispered conversations, it’s entirely safe to predict 
that something is going to drop.” 

“ And pretty soon,” added Warner. 

“ Well, this night was built for mischief. It’s darker 
than a shroud,” commented Hamilton. 

“ I don’t reckon it would be safe to charge the guides 
and tote-teamsters with all the horse-play that’s incu- 
bating,” observed Warner. “ That big bunch of sports 
from Portland are hand and glove with them.” 

“To say nothing of Barney O’Connor,” suggested 
Norman. 

“ Yes, we can never overlook Barney,” returned 
Warner, with a laugh. “ He’s one to be in the swim 
when there’s any deviltry afoot.” 

63 


64 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


An inventive genius, is he ? ” questioned the Gen- 
eral. 

“ He’s entirely capable of furnishing a prank pro- 
gram for a township/* declared Norman, with con- 
viction. 

“ At twenty minutes’ notice,” added Warner. 

There was a muffled sound of voices, and a tramp 
of feet past the little cabin. Lanterns flashed in the 
darkness. Presently from the deep woods back of the 
camps came a frenzied voice. Help ! Help ! ” it 
shouted, in agonized tones. “ They air a-killin’ of 
me.” 

“ Go slow/* cautioned Hamilton, as the members of 
the little party made their way out of doors. It’s 
doubtless horse play ; but when these fellows get started 
they are no respecters of persons.” 

“ We’d better hide,” whispered Warner. 

The members of the party at once concealed them- 
selves behind some large fir trees, where they could 
watch proceedings without being seen. 

In a little opening in the woods a band of men were 
gathered together under the spreading branches of an 
immense beech tree. By the dim light of the lanterns 
which they carried, the watchers observed that they 
all wore masks of dark cloth. In their midst, securely 
bound, was the unhappy Sproggs, his face white with 
terror. 

“ What shall we do with this man ? ” demanded the 
leader, in a deep voice. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


65 


“ Lynch him ! Lynch him ! ” came the answering 
chorus. 

A long rope was thrown over one of the limbs of the 
big beech, and a noose was placed around the neck of 
the terrified Sproggs. 

“ Don’t do it, boys I don’t do it ! ” he gasped, in a 
quaking voice. “ Ye’ve no call t’ do it. I never did 
ary one on ye any hatin.^’ 

‘‘ It’s too bad t’ string ’im up without giving him a 
chance t’ confess his sins,” said a voiee hear the center 
of the group. 

Up Wid him — the murtherin’ spalpeeh ! ” came 
another voice. 

“ Does any one wish to question this man ? ” asked 
the leader. 

‘‘ I do,” said the voice of the man who had first 
spoken.” 

“ Jim Benner,” whispered Norman to Fred Warner, 
who stood at his elbow. 

Go ahead,” said the leader. 

** Bill Sproggs,” came the voice of Benner, “ Ye’ve 
ben a notorious liar all your life.” 

“ Is that true ? ” demanded the leader. 

“Ye-yes,” admitted Sproggs. 

“ Ye’ve gone front place t’ place spinnih’ big yarns 
an’ a-jumpin’ other guides’ jobs,” continued Betiner, 
in a sepulchral voice. Now, th’ time has come t’ tell 
th’ truth. Answer me, did ye ever kill a deer ? ” 

“ N-no,” stammered the abject Sproggs. 


66 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ An’ th’ ones ye started in th’ swamp was the fust 
ye’ve seen this year,” continued Benner, in measured 
tones. 

‘‘ Y-yes,” confessed Sproggs. “ Let me go boys,” 
he begged, in a quavering voice. “ I’ll confess every- 
thing. I’ll clear right out, an’ never trouble ye agin.” 

‘‘ That blood ye showed Gen’ral Carver on a leaf 
wasn’t deer blood, was it?” continued the merciless 
Benner. 

“ N-no,” confessed Sproggs. 

“Where’d ye git it?” 

“ I sucked it out of a holler tooth,” confessed the 
trembling Sproggs. 

“ An’ ye didn’t shoot et no deer et all,” pursued 
Benner, in withering tones. 

“ No,” acknowledged Sproggs. 

“ An’ ye lied about th’ spring,” continued Benner. 

‘‘I — I — thought it was a real one — I did, hon- 
estly,” pleaded Sproggs. ‘‘ I was afeared they’d think 
I was no good if I didn’t know about it.” 

An’ there wasn’t any bug in your eye when they 
asked ye t’ shoot agin Fred Warner?” 

‘‘No. I was lyin’. I didn’t dast to shoot with ’im,” 
groaned Sproggs. “ Now I’ve told ye all, boys. I’m 
sorry for what I’ve done. I promise ye I’ll mend my 
ways. Flease let me go.” 

“ William Sproggs ! ” said the leader, sternly, “ you 
are a self-confessed scoundrel — an impostor and a 
knave. You have pretended to be what you are not. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


67 


You have obtained money under false pretences.” 

Ba cripe ! ” interrupted a deep voice from the outer 
edge of the crowd. “ I bat you feefty dollarre he ban 
de sam’ fellaire w'at shoot heem Joe Boley^s colt.” 

A titter of laughter ran through the group at this 
charge, for the experience of the tenderfoot who had 
shot a fine colt in Boley’s back pasture, under the 
impression that it was a deer, was a standing joke 
among all the guides in that section. They also knew 
that the offender had come up like a man, and settled 
handsomely for his blunder. 

‘‘Did ye shoot Joe Boley’s colt?” demanded the 
leader, sternly. 

“No — no, I never heard anything about it,” pro- 
tested Sproggs. “ I never shot no colt in my life. 
It’s all a lie, boys.” 

“ Mebbe eet ban Goggle-eye,” suggested the man 
who had preferred the charge. 

Again an audible titter ran through the crowd. 

“ The weight of testimony holds Goggle-eye respon- 
sible for that offence,” announced the leader, solemnly. 

“ Begob, we’ll put thot down to yer credit,” came 
a voice from the crowd. “ We’ll only hang ye wan 
hour instead av foive. Wirra, wirra, it’s a lucky mon 
ye are.” 

“ What a give-away that brogue is on Barney,” 
whispered Norman to Fred. 

The suggestion of hanging seemed to have the effect 
of intensifying the terror of Sproggs. 


68 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Fer th’ love o’ heaven, let me go, boys,” he pleaded. 
“ I’ll clear out. I’ll do different, I promise ye.” 

“ Does any one else desire to be heard in this trial ? ” 
demanded the leader, in solemn tones. 

‘‘ Yes, I would like to say a word,” responded a 
deep voice, and the members of the group turned to 
face the tall form of General Carver, who had stepped 
forth from his place of concealment behind a neighbor- 
ing tree. 

General Carver, gentlemen,” announced the leader. 

“ Oh, save me. General ! save me ! ” shrieked the 
miserable Sproggs, grasping at his presence like a 
drowning man at a straw. “ They’re murderin’ me. 
They’re goin’ to hang me.” 

Shet up ! ” ordered Benner, peremptorily. ‘‘ Don’t 
ye go a-snivelin’ round here an’ a-breakin’ up th’ 
meetin’.” 

Strong hands were laid upon the shivering, moaning 
Sproggs, and a handkerchief was forced into his mouth, 
effectually gagging him. 

‘‘ Proceed, General,” said the leader, in a tone of 
deference. 

An expectant hush fell upon the assembly. 

“ I can honestly say, gentlemen,” began the General, 
“ that I cannot identify any one of you. In this respect 
you all have the advantage of me. It was by the 
merest chance that I was attracted to your gathering, 
and became cognizant of its purpose. Under the cir- 
cumstances, I feel it my duty to earnestly protest against 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


69 


any act of violence towards your prisoner. I do not 
deny that he is a charlatan and a fake richly meriting 
punishment, although not, I think, the extreme one 
you would inflict upon him. I must beg of you not 
to take the law into your own hands. Nothing can 
be gained by it, and I sincerely hope you will let this 
man go, and thus afford him a chance to reform.” 

You have heard the remarks of General Carver, 
gentlemen,” said the leader, as the General ceased 
speaking. What is your pleasure ? ” 

“ I move ye,” said Benner, “ that we let th’ prisoner 
go, and give hm one more chance t’ reform.” 

‘‘ You have heard th’ motion, gentlemen,” said the 
leader. ‘‘ All of those in favor of it will say ‘ yes.’ ” 
“ Yes,” came a loud chorus. 

“ All those opposed will say ^ no.’ ” 

No one spoke. “ The motion is unanimously car- 
ried,” announced the leader. William Sproggs,” he 
added, soberly, through the kindly intercession of 
General Carver you have been snatched from the 
shadow of death. Let the experience of this night 
be a solemn warning to you never again to pretend 
to be that which you are not. Release the prisoner.” 

The ropes that bound the arms of the trembling 
Sproggs were untied, the noose was taken from his 
neck, and with a gasp of joy he found himself at lib- 
erty. With unsteady steps he made his way to Gen- 
eral Carver, and grasped his hand. 

‘‘ I owe it t’ you,” he breathed gratefully. ‘‘ I’m 


70 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


ashamed o’ myself. How can I ever repay ye ? ” 

“ Don’t mention it,” said the General, stifling some- 
thing that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. “ If 
I were you, I’d put myself beyond the reach of these 
fellows before they have time to repent.” 

‘‘ I will ! I will ! ” said Sproggs, eagerly. “ I’ll git 
out th’ fust thing in th’ mornin’.” 

He faded away in the darkness behind the vanishing 
group of his persecutors, from whom floated back noises 
that sounded very much like gusts of laughter. 

“Why did you butt in, father?” asked Norman, 
when, having bade Warner and Hamilton good-night, 
they were back in their little cabin. “ Didn’t you know 
that was all horse play? They hadn’t the slightest 
intention of harming Sproggs.” 

“ I was perfectly well aware of the act,” said the 
General, “but, inasmuch as I was a witness to what 
was going on, I felt that it would be wise to be on the 
right side of the escapade in case Sproggs showed any 
disposition to make trouble about it.” 

“ Don’t you worry,” rejoined Norman, with con- 
viction. “ He’s only too glad to get out of the scrape 
with a whole skin. We’ve seen the last of him around 
here.” 

“That is my opinion, too,” said the General. “ Still 
it is always well to be on the right side of a situation, 
especially when it is a trifle irregular.” 

Norman’s prophecy was speedily borne out. Sproggs 
took his hurried departure at sunrise the next morning, 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


71 


and nothing further was seen of him at Larry Hunt’s 
place. 

The guests of the big camp were in the midst of 
breakfast the following morning, when Goggle-eye, 
white-faced and trembling from excitement, made his 
appearance. 

“ Begorra, an’ I hope ye’ll sthop awhoile wid us,” 
said Barney O’Connor, giving him a searching glance. 

“ I don’t know,” returned Goggle-eye, in unsteady 
tones. “ I was out hunting this morning, and I dis- 
tinctly heard two rifle bullets whistle above my head. 
Looked as if some one was trying to shoot me.” 

Some keerless critter a-huntin’. Probably mistook 
ye fer a deer,” remarked Benner. “ By hemlock ! sech 
critters es them a-shootin’ at every bush they see move 
is too dangerous t’ be allowed a-roamin’ round in the 
woods.” 

Ought to be hung,” declared one of the guides, 
with emphasis. 

“ I confess the experience hasn’t improved my appe- 
tite any,” declared Goggle-eye, with a wan smile, as 
he took his seat at the table. 

“ Arrah, me bye. Don’t ye be afther gittin’ down- 
hearted,” said Barney O’Cennor, consolingly. “ Be- 
gorra, man, think what a foine place ’t wud be to be 
buried in, wid the wind a-singin’ to ye an’ th’ big 
trees a-standin’ guarrd above yer grave.” 

Goggle-eye hastily pushed back his plate, with a look 
of weariness. 


72 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Really/’ he said, in a tone of deep dejection, I 
don’t believe I can eat a mouthful.” 

‘‘ Still thinkin’ o’ th’ hum o’ thet bullet, eh ? ” queried 
Benner. 

“ There were two of them,” reminded Goggle-eye. 

‘‘ Sure enough,” admitted Benner, “ but one on ’em 
would kill ye jest as dead es two.” 

‘‘ ’Tis true, indade, thot the song av a bullet is not 
nearly as swate as the song av a burrd,” observed 
Barney O’Connor, soberly. “ Still,” he added, in a 
tone of encouragement, “ ’tis a foine fat corpse ye’d 
be afther makin’.” 

Goggle-eye rose from the table, and hastily left the 
dining-room, followed by a titter of laughter. 

“ Cornin’ along es neat es a willow whistle,” observed 
Benner, when he had gone. 

“ Begorra, he’s nearly roipe this minute,” declared 
Barney. “ Ivery wan that comes within range av him 
this day shud give him et laste wan shot.” 

“ We’ll look out for him,” responded the laughing 
guides. He won’t care for any supper.” 

After breakfast, Warner, with a one-horse buck- 
board, belonging to Larry Hunt, and built especially 
for the purpose, made his way up an old lumber road 
accompanied by the members of his party for the pur- 
pose of securing the buck and doe which they had shot 
the day before. These they had dragged from the bog 
to the edge of the road, where they had been dressed 
and hung up on a couple of trees. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


73 


As the party made its way along the woods-road it 
met a dark-visaged, coarse-haired, scowling-faced man 
coming in their direction, bearing on his back a large 
gunny sack which was evidently well filled and heavy. 
The man stepped from the road, regarding them with 
shifty eyes as they passed him, and then resumed his 
journey at a perceptibly quicker pace. 

“ Acts as if he were anxious to part company with 
us,” said Norman, looking after him. 

“ I should want a pretty firm grip on my pocket- 
book if I met that fellow alone in the woods after 
dark,” observed Hamilton. 

‘‘ I fancy he’s a crook,” said Lord Matterson. 

“ He certainly has an evil-looking countenance,” 
agreed the General. 

Presently they reached the point where the woods- 
road made its way out into the bog, and drew up to 
look for their game. A distinct gasp of surprise came 
from all of them. Both deer were gone! 

Stolen ! ” exclaimed Hamilton, as he stood staring 
at the tree where his buck had hung. 

‘‘ By Jove ! My beastly ill luck has got a strangle- 
hold this trip,” groaned the Englishman. 

“ Here are the heads and hides,” announced War- 
ner, as he peered behind a clump of bushes. ‘‘ It’s 
evident that all that fellow wanted was the meat.” 

‘‘ What do you mean by that fellow ? ” demanded 
the General. 

'' The man we met coming in,” said Warner. “ I 


74 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


haven’t any doubt that the bag he carried contained 
a part, at least, of these deer.” 

“ But he couldn’t have carried the whole of them,” 
protested Hamilton. “ That buck alone must have 
weighed nearly two hundred pounds.” 

“ He probably had an accomplice,” suggested Nor- 
man. 

“ He’ll hear something drop, if the boys get hold of 
him,” declared Warner. A man’s game is supposed 
to be sacred in these woods, and every one in the sport- 
ing camps will look upon a man who would steal that 
kind of property as outside the pale of civilization.” 

‘‘ We might as well take home the hides,” said the 
General. 

“Yes,” coincided Hamilton, “I suppose we should 
be thankful for this small consideration.” 

“ A Western horse-thief would stand about as much 
show with the cowboys as a deer- j acker would with 
the Maine guides,” declared Warner, as they turned 
about and began their homeward journey. 





A Camp in the Woods. 








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CHAPTER VII 


THE REAPPEARANCE OF THE ALBINO BUCK 

“If that feller is really jackin’ deer, he’s in fer 
trouble all right,” declared Benner, with conviction, 
when he heard the story of the mysterious disappear- 
ance of the buck and doe. “ Th’ boys ’ll make an 
example of ’im if they ketch ’im. Shouldn’t be sur- 
prised if they lynched ’im.” 

“ Or meestook him for a deer,” interposed Pete 
Bedotte, with a grin. 

“ I reckon they’d think that shootin’ was a leetle too 
good fer ’im,” said Benner. 

There were only a few men at the big camp for 
dinner, as the guides with their various parties of sports 
were all hunting the big woods ; the small number who 
were there, however, made up mostly of woodsmen 
and tote-teamsters, were loud in their expressions of 
anger when they heard of the theft of the game. Gen- 
eral Carver recognized the fact that their loud threats 
against the perpetrators of the outrage, which was, 
evidently, a rare offence, were by no means idle ones. 
Norman, who was familiar with conditions in the big 
woods, knew that, by night, the story of the theft would 
be a topic of conversation at every camp in the Sebois 
75 


76 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


region, and hundreds of men would be on the alert to 
apprehend the parties guilty of the offenee. Sueh a 
crime touched each and every man of the great woods, 
all of whom were, to some extent, hunters, and could 
be depended upon to make common cause against any 
man who interfered with game that was not his own. 
Even the tote-teamsters carried rifles on their long and 
wearisome trips, and picked up many a deer along the 
way. 

A man who would interfere in any way with another 
man’s game, dressed and hanging up in the woods, was 
looked upon as the embodiment of all that was mean 
and vicious in human character, an outlaw among men, 
whom it was a credit to dispose of in the most sum- 
mary manner. 

After dinner, Warner and his party contented them- 
selves with hunting near the camps, but with the excep- 
tion of a red fox which the Englishman killed with a 
long shot, as it was making its way along the crest of 
a birch ridge, they secured no game. They succeeded, 
however, in catching a fine mess of brook trout from 
the dead water above the dam, which greatly delighted 
the heart of Felix Lamarre, who was an adept in the 
art of cooking them. 

There was great excitement among the guides and 
‘‘ sports,” as they gathered at the big camp for supper 
that evening. Not only had they learned of the theft 
of the deer which had been shot by Warner’s party, 
but a fine buck belonging to David Bass, a business 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


77 


man from Taunton, Mass., who was enjoying his 
annual outing in the big woods, was also missing. In 
this case, too, the thief had been content to take the 
meat, leaving behind the head and skin. 

“ It looks t' me es if this feller was operatin’ fer 
some loggin’ crew,’’ declared Benner, as he joined 
General Carver and Norman at their little cabin after 
supper. 

“ What makes you think so ? ” asked the General. 

Because all the critter seems t’ want is th’ meat,” 
said Benner. “ It’s a mighty expensive thing to freight 
provisions over these ’ere long hard woods-roads, an’ 
’most any operator kin afford t’ pay a good round price 
fer venison. Some of ’em hire men t’ hunt deer for 
’em in th’ winter time, an’ air doin’ an awful sight of 
mischief in thinnin’ out th’ deer by killin’ of ’em in 
th’ yards et thet season.” 

“ The guides would make things mighty interesting 
for an operator who was caught encouraging that sort 
of thing,” declared Fred Warner, warmly. 

He could be prosecuted as the receiver of stolen 
property,” declared the General. 

“ Would a deer hung up in the woods be held to be 
property?” asked Norman. 

‘‘I should certainly say it would,” responded the 
General. “ The State of Maine, which charges non- 
resident hunters a fee for the privilege of shooting in 
its big woods, and limits the number of deer and moose 
each hunter may get, would scarcely deny the owner- 


78 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


ship of the hunter in the game he had legally found 
and killed. The parties who have taken these deer 
are plain, ordinary thieves, and can be prosecuted as 
such if they can be apprehended. 

‘‘ If the guides get their hands on them, I reckon 
there won’t be any need of court proceedings,” asserted 
Warner, with conviction. 

‘‘ I hope in any event that there may be no violence,” 
said the General, deprecatingly. “ However great the 
aggravation may be, it is always best to let the law 
take its course. Men never gain anything in the long 
run, by usurping the functions of the courts.” 

‘‘ But surely you want to see the fellows who stole 
our deer punished, father,” interposed Norman. 

‘‘ Most certainly I do,” said the General, “ and, what 
is more, if we can catch them, I will do all in my power 
to see that they get the full penalty of the law.” 

“We will catch them, never fear,” said Warner, 
confidently. “ Every guide in these woods is on the 
lookout for them.” 

“ Where do you think that meat could go? ” asked 
the General, turning to Benner. 

“ I’m not sure,” responded the veteran. “ I reckon 
it’s taken some distance. None o’ th’ operators round 
here would dare t’ be in sech business, an’ I can’t think 
of one on ’em who would be mean enough. This whole 
section, however, is full o’ yardin’ crews, an’ it wouldn’t 
be any great trick fer a man who had meat t’ sell t’ 
find a market fer it.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


79 


rm satisfied that sooner or later we shall clear up 
this mystery/’ declared the General, confidently. 

“ I reckin we will,” agreed Benner. ‘‘ I tell ye th’ 
boys air terrible stirred up over it. They mean busi- 
ness.” 

“ Come! ” shouted Norman, in response to a rap. 

The door opened to admit Goggle-eye, who looked 
pale and haggard as he took a seat beside Warner on 
one of the beds. 

‘‘ Looks ’s if yer vittles didn’t agree with ye,” com- 
m.ented Benner, giving him a sharp scrutiny. 

“ I haven’t any appetite at all,” groaned Goggle-eye. 

I think I’ll go home.” 

Nothing wrong, I hope,” said the General. 

‘‘ Somebody’s trying to shoot me,” said Goggle-eye^ 
mournfully. “ I’ve been fired at six times to-day.” 

“ Must bear a charmed life,” commented Benner. 

“ The bullets came so near me I could hear ’em 
whistle,” declared Goggle-eye, solemnly. 

“ ’Most allers when men in this kentry fire et a man 
es often es thet, they hit ’im,” declared Benner. 

‘‘ They nearly always do when they mistake him for 
a deer,” said Warner. 

Goggle-eye gave a dismal groan. 

“ Nobody mistook me for a deer,” he said, dismally. 
“ I think it was a deliberate attempt to pot me. I’ve 
got one good buck and I think I’ll go home.” 

“ But the law allows you another deer and a moose,” 
suggested Norman. 


So 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“No amount of game is to be weighed against a 
man’s life/’ asserted Goggle-eye, in lugubrious tones. 

“ I reckin ye air right,” declared Benner, warmly. 
“ Home’s the best place for ye if some one’s out t’ pot 
ye. He’ll git ye sooner or later, spite o’ fate. Th’ 
safe thing is t’ git home while ye still hev a whole 
skin.” 

. “ That’s good advice,” declared Goggle-eye, with 
emphasis. “ That’s exactly what I’ll do. I’ll arrange 
for Larry to send me out to Patten in the morning. 
Good-night,” and, rising, he abruptly left the cabin. 

“How much real danger has he been in, Jim?” 
asked Norman, when the perturbed hunter had taken 
his departure. 

Benner indulged a grim chuckle. 

“ ’Bout as much es you an’ I hev,” he said. “ He 
was too permiscuous. Th’ boys was afeared o’ him. 
It’s jest their jovial little way o’ servin’ notice on ’im 
t’ quit. I reckon we’ve seen ’bout the last on ’im.” 

This prophecy proved to be correct. When break- 
fast was served in the big camp the following morn- 
ing there was great rejoicing over the discovery that 
Goggle-eye had eaten some time in advance of the 
others, and had taken his departure. All the men at 
the big camp breathed freer with the knowledge that 
he had gone, and that his presence would no longer 
have to be reckoned among the dangers to be encoun- 
tered in their hunting trips. 

“ Mr. Hamilton and I are going to hunt birds 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


8i 


to-day,” said General Carver to Norman, after break- 
fast. ‘‘We can at least bring them home with us and 
be sure of them. If you would rather hunt deer, you 
and Fred can go out alone. We shall only work along 
the woods-roads, and will not need a guide.” 

“ All right,” said Norman, cheerfully, “ Fred and I 
will hunt for that albino buck. Fm bound to have him 
before I go home, you know,” he added, with mock 
seriousness. 

“ If you will get him. I’ll have him mounted for 
you,” said the General. 

“ I see where you’re going to pay a taxidermist,” 
returned Norman, with a laugh. “ I’m certainly going 
to get that albino buck.” 

‘‘If you have young Warner to guide you, you are 
about as likely as any one to get him,” observed Ham- 
ilton. “ That youngster knows his business.” 

“ By Jove, you’re right,” corroborated Lord Mat- 
terson, who came from the big camp in season to hear 
the remark. “ He’s a very great improvement, don’t 
you know, over that — aw — beastly Sproggs.” 

“ I reckon we’ll run up to Meadow Brook farm,” 
remarked Warner, after he and Norman had crossed 
the Sebois River and were making their way along an 
old woods-road to the left of the big tote-trail. 

“ Meadow Brook farm,” repeated Norman. “ You 
don’t mean to tell me there’s a farm in these big woods, 
do you ? ” 

“ There are several of them,” responded Warner. 


82 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ They are used to raise hay on for the lumber camps. 
Hay is something of a luxury when it has been bought 
and toted ’way in here.” 

“ It seems to me that I heard some of the boys speak 
of that farm last spring,” continued Norman, reminis- 
cently. 

“ Shouldn’t wonder if you did,” said Warner. Our 
drive went within half a mile of the clearing.” 

“ But you and I never had time enough to stray very 
far from the water, Fred.” 

“We surely didn’t,” agreed Warner. “ You prob- 
ably recognize this place,” he added, as they paused 
before a little clearing in the woods from which, 
through a fringe of trees, they could catch a glimpse 
of the “ dead water ” held back by the dam at Sebois 
bridge. In the middle of the clearing stood two 
crotched sticks, and a heap of ashes and charred wood 
showed where a big fire had once burned. 

“ Here’s where we had our last meal on the drive 
before we reached Sebois bridge,” exclaimed Norman, 
joyfully. “ It doesn’t look quite so animated as it did 
then,” he added. “ There was always considerable 
steam in the boys in spite of the hard work they did.” 

Warner removed a tin dipper from his belt, and 
stepped to the edge of the clearing where a cool spring 
of water bubbled from the ground and formed the 
source of a tiny brook which ran into the dead water. 

“ You haven’t forgotten this. I’ll warrant,” he said, 
as he filled the dipper and handed it to Norman. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


83 


‘‘ I surely haven’t,” declared Norman, as he slowly 
drained the dipper. “ Any one who ever got a drink 
of this water would never forget it. I wish I had this 
spring near Boston,” he added. “ I’d make a fortune 
bottling its waters.” 

“ I reckon you’ll have to move it,” observed Warner, 
with a laugh. ‘‘ Transportation charges would eat up 
all your profits if you tried to work it from here.” 

‘‘ Full many a spring is born to flow unseen,” said 
Norman, lightly. 

From the spring the boys pursued their way along 
the woods-road, and, presently, came upon the body 
of a large mule which lay beside the way. 

‘‘ Let’s hurry along, Fred! ” cried Norman, clasping 
his hand to his nose. 

Both boys accelerated their pace. 

“ Paul Duby’s moose is getting mellow,” said War- 
ner, with a laugh, when they finally paused for breath. 

‘‘Paul Duby’s moose?” questioned Norman. 

“ Yes,” explained Warner. “ Paul was toting for 
Larry Hunt. He had been up to Meadow Brook farm, 
and was returning after dark, when he was terrified 
to find himself confronted by what he fully believed 
to be an enormous bull moose. He shouted; but the 
moose, instead of running away, continued to move 
toward him. His hair was on end. He believed that 
his life was in deadly peril, and snatching his rifle from 
the seat, he proceeded to pump the moose full of lead. 
He related his harrowing experience, when he reached 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


% 

camp, and the next day Larry went up and found, as 
he suspected, that Paul’s moose was one of a pair of 
mules which a lumber operator was pasturing on the 
farm. It cost quite a tidy sum of money to settle the 
matter up, and Paul has never heard the last of it.” 

“Does any one live at the farm?” asked Norman. 

“ Yes. Ben Carson is there with his family. He 
farms a little and hunts a little and works in the woods 
and on the drive.” 

“ Do they keep a cow ? ” 

“Yes — two or three of them.” 

“ Suppose we stop there and get a drink of milk.” 

“ That’s a good idea,” assented Warner. 

A little later they crossed the dead water on a log 
bridge and made their way to the door of the weather- 
stained story-and-a-half farm-house that stood in the 
midst of a great clearing. 

Mrs. Carson met them most hospitably, promptly 
providing the milk they asked for, and refusing to 
accept any pay for it. 

“ Barney O’Connor was here yesterday,” she said. 
“ He’s a funny fellow,” she added. “ I reckon you 
never could guess what he was after.” 

“It wasn’t milk, was it?” asked Norman. 

The good woman laughed heartily. 

“ No, it wasn’t milk,” she said. “ I guess I’ll have 
to tell you, for you never could guess in a thousand 
years. He was after turkey feathers.” 

“ Turkey feathers 1 ” repeated the boys. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


85 


“ Yes/’ said Mrs. Carson, in evident enjoyment of 
their surprise. He bought all the wings I had, and 
was jest tickled t’ death over a lot o’ tail feathers the 
gals had saved up.” 

The boys looked at each other with questioning 
glances. They finished drinking their milk, thanked 
good-hearted Mrs. Carson, warmly, and took their 
departure. 

“Turkey’s feathers!” exclaimed Norman, when 
they were out of hearing. “ What’s that rascal up to 
now ? ” 

“ I haven’t the slightest idea,” confessed Fred, “ but 
something is in the wind, as sure as you’re born.” 

“ And we sha’n’t have to wait long for it to show 
up,” added Norman. 

As they walked easily along the woods-road their 
way led them by a winding path up the steep ascent 
of a heavily wooded horseback. From the crest of 
this height they obtained a far view, through a vista 
of forest trees, of the surrounding country. Beyond 
the heavily wooded valley that lay below them was a 
succession of hardwood ridges heavily covered with 
towering beech, birch, and maple trees. 

“ That’s a long shot from here,” said Warner, point- 
ing across to the nearest ridge. “ Still, if we were to 
remain hidden here I have an idea that we should see 
considerable game along that ridge in the course of the 
day. This is a great year for beechnuts, and all kinds 
of game feed upon them.” 


86 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Even as he spoke, a magnificent white deer flashed 
into view for a brief moment and disappeared in full 
flight, over the crest of the ridge. 

“The albino buck!’’ gasped Norman. 

“ That’s what it was,” agreed Warner, “ but he was 
going so that there was no chance to draw a bead on 
him, at this distance. He must have scented us.” 

“ Something started him, all right,” said Norman. 
“ Do you know, Fred, if I can get that fellow, father 
has agreed to have him mounted for me ? ” 

“ Well, we’ll make a business of getting him, then,” 
said Warner, cheerfully. “ Some one is pretty sure 
to shoot him sooner or later, and we might as well do 
it as any one.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


SOL SOC AND THE THIEF 

For a short time the boys lay concealed behind a 
clump of fir trees, watching a woods trail that led its 
winding way down the side of the opposite ridge. The 
chill of autumn was in the air, and already the forest 
maples that grew thickly upon the height beyond the 
little valley were gorgeous with color. The tree-tops 
were vocal with the clatterings of a thousand noisy 
squirrels, which scolded volubly at the invasion of their 
ancestral realm. 

Presently the bent form of a man appeared on the 
trail that led down the side of the hardwood ridge. 
He was staggering along under the burden of an enor- 
mous buck, which he had balanced across his shoulders. 

Norman put his hand on Fred’s arm, with a sharp 
clutch. 

‘‘ That’s the man who stole our deer,” he whispered, 
excitedly. 

“ It’s certainly the same fellow we met the morning 
we went after them,” agreed Warner. 

“ I’ll bet he’s stolen that deer he’s lugging now,” 
declared Norman. 

‘‘ I shouldn’t be surprised if he had,” said Warner. 
87 


88 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Do you know — ” He stopped, abruptly. There 
was the sharp report of a rifle further up the ridge. 
The man who was lugging the deer dropped his burden 
in the road, with startling abruptness. He straightened 
up, wheeled part way round, clasped both hands on 
top of his head, and staggered unsteadily to a big tree 
beside the road, and leaned against it for support. 

Looks as if that bullet came his way,” commented 
Norman, as he peered eagerly at the stranger from his 
place of concealment. 

“ Shouldn’t wonder,” acquiesced Warner. “ A man 
can’t help himself to other folk’s game in these woods 
without some of the boys mistaking him for a deer,” 
he added, grimly. 

‘‘ It’s certainly a hazardous business,” said Norman. 

“ Sh ! ” exclaimed Warner, in a low tone. 

Norman followed Fred’s glance, with a gasp of sur- 
prise. 

Coming down the ridge road, with long, swinging 
strides, and holding his rifle in the hollow of his arm, 
was the towering form of Sol Soc, his dark face con- 
vulsed with passion. 

‘‘ The big chief has certainly got his war paint on,” 
whispered Norman, in an awed tone. 

“ Something’s going to drop,” agreed Warner. 

So excited were the boys, and eager to watch devel- 
opments, that they forgot their caution, and, anxious 
to obtain a better view of the encounter between Sol 
Soc and the deer thief, on the opposite side of the little 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


89 


valley, they came from their place of concealment, and 
stood in full view on the side of the horseback. 

The face of the thief was pale with apprehension, 
as he looked at the Indian towering above him in his 
wrath. A bullet hole, through the crown of the hat 
which the outlaw wore, bore mute evidence of the 
accuracy of the red man’s marksmanship. It was evi- 
dent that the thief was thoroughly cowed and fright- 
ened. His greasy, swarthy features were white with 
fear. 

“ Don’t ye go fer t’ harm me ! ” he pleaded, in 
unsteady tones. 

‘‘ Pickum up deer,” responded Sol, sternly. 

With an effort, the thief swung the heavy buck across 
his shoulders. 

“ Weighs more than a barrel of flour,” whispered 
Fred to Norman. 

“ Lugum back w’ere you gotum,” ordered the Indian, 
when the thief had once more assumed his burden. 

With slow, laborious steps, the man, staggering along 
under his heavy load, made his way up the ridge, the 
Indian stalking silently behind. Part way up the ridge 
Sol turned, and waving his hand to the boys, motioned 
for them to come across the valley and join him. 

The old boy has spotted us,” said Norman, in sur- 
prise. 

“ Not a very diflicult task for him,” returned War- 
ner, with a laugh, ‘‘ seeing that we’ve been standing 
out here in full view on the side of the horseback.” 


90 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ I thought he was too busy to notice us/’ confessed 
Norman. 

“Notice us!” echoed Fred. “I don’t believe a 
field-mouse could hide from him in the big woods. 
I tell you, those keen black eyes of his see every living 
thing within his range of vision.” 

Hurrying down the side of the horseback, the boys 
made their way across the little valley, and, climbing 
the slope of the hardwood ridge, joined Sol and his 
prisoner. 

“How do?” grunted the Indian, which Norman 
recognized, coming from him, as a very cordial greet- 
ing. 

“ Struck bear, have you, Soc?” questioned Warner. 

“ No. Skunk,” returned the Indian shortly. 

Norman indulged a low chuckle. “ We sha’n’t dis- 
pute you there, Soc,” he said. 

With panting breath the burdened thief made his 
slow way up the side of the ridge. It was obvious that 
he stood in great fear of the Indian; at the same time 
the malevolent glances he shot at the boys, from under 
his bushy brows, made it evident that he was far from 
enjoying their presences as witnesses of his discom- 
fiture. 

As they neared the top of the ridge he paused beside 
a tall, slim maple, and, with evident relief, deposited 
the buck beside the road. 

“ Climbum tree,” ordered the Indian, grimly. 

The thief promptly made his way up the maple. 


t 



“Don’t ye go fer t’harm me! ’’ he pleaded in unsteady tones. 

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91 


which, as he neared the top, bent under his weight 
until it touched the ground. 

“ Tieum up deer,’’ grunted the Indian. 

The thief obediently tied up the hind legs of the 
buck to the top of the tree with some pieces of tarred 
rope, which he took from the pocket of his mackinaw. 

When he had done this, he stepped aside, and the 
m.aple, relieved of his weight, once more sprang into 
an upright position, lifting the buck clear from the 
ground. The bend of the tree was further strength- 
ened by a crotched stick, which the thief placed under- 
neath it to serve as a prop. 

The Indian stood looking on with grim scorn, while 
the discomfited thief performed these unwilling ser- 
vices. It was evident that the fellow expected to be 
allowed to depart when he had completed the task 
assigned to him; but in this he was disappointed. 

“ Go on,’’ ordered the Indian, shortly, and once more 
the march along the woods-road was resumed, the 
thief, his dark features pale with passion, leading the 
way, closely followed by Sol, with Norman and Fred 
bringing up the rear. 

In this order they proceeded for several miles, the 
Indian stalking along in grim silence, and the boys, 
humoring his mood, making no comment. Presently 
their way led them along the steep banks of the Sebois 
River. They were nearing the Sebois bridge. It was 
evident that the thief had no desire to meet the guides 
and sportsmen who made their headquarters at Larry 


92 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Hunt’s place. As they neared the big camp, he became 
noticeably uneasy and apprehensive. He case quick, 
nervous glances about him, and frequently moistened 
his dry lips with his tongue. Suddenly he made a 
quick dash from the road and threw himself down a 
steep ravine which led from the woods-road down the 
side of the ridge to the river. Here, losing his foot- 
ing, he went sliding and rolling to the water’s edge. 
Gaining his feet, he made a quick dash behind some 
big ledges, which jutted out into the river. As he 
disappeared the Indian sent a rifle shot in his direction ; 
but, apparently, without effect. Both boys were taken 
completely by surprise by the quickness and unexpect- 
edness of the outlaw’s movements, and stood staring 
after him in open-mouthed amazement. 

You no shootum,” commented the Indian. 

“ No, Sol,” confessed Norman, frankly, “ I wasn’t 
looking for any such break. Besides I don’t quite 
relish the idea of shooting a man.” 

‘‘ Me don’t, either,” said the Indian. 

I reckon you could have bored him, if you’d wanted 
to,” said Warner, in a tone of relief. “ Perhaps it’s 
better, though, that he got away,” he added. “ The 
boys are so keyed up over these thefts that I don’t dare 
to think what they might have done to him, if we’d 
brought him back to camp.” 

“ Lynchum. Serveum right,” grunted the Indian. 

‘‘ I’m afraid that’s just what they might have done 
with him,” admitted Warner, as they resumed their 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


93 


tramp to the camp, making no effort to follow up the 
thief. 

I think he’ll be a little more careful after this,” 
said Norman. Sol has scared him out of at least 
one year’s growth.” 

“ I rather think he’ll leave us alone after this,” agreed 
Warner. 

There was great excitement among the men at the 
camp when they reached Larry Hunt’s place, and 
related the story of the thief’s capture and escape. 
Some of the men were inclined to find fault with what 
they regarded as the lenient usage accorded him. 

“ Why didn’t ye mistake ’im fer a deer an’ finish 
’im ? ” asked Benner, in a tone of disgust. 

‘‘ But that would have been murder, Jim,” protested 
Warner. 

“ Murder, poppycock ! ” grunted the veteran. “ Any 
man hes a right t’ kill a varmint. I reckon there air 
not many o’ th’ boys es would ben so considerate.” 

‘‘ I think it would be better to get after the fellow 
who has been furnishing a market for the venison,” 
said Warner. 

Thet’s a good idea,” agreed Benner, but never 
fear. Th’ boys hev got their eyes open for thet feller, 
an’ they’ll come up with ’im sooner or later, es sure 
es yer born.” 

The thief and his capture by Sol Soc was the sole 
topic of conversation at the supper table that evening, 
sportsmen and guides joining very generally in the 


94 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


opinion that hanging would be too good for him. 

‘‘ There's something in the wind, Norman,” declared 
Warner, as they made their way, in company with 
General Carver, back to the little cabin across the road 
from the big camp, at the close of the meal. 

‘‘What makes you think so?” queried Norman. 

“ Didn't you notice those winks and grins and whis- 
pered conferences in the big office, I know the symp- 
toms. I tell you there's some mischief brewing.” 

“ This night was made for mischief,” commented the 
General. “ It's as dark as a pocket.” 

“No one can feel quite sure of a good night’s sleep 
when Barney O'Connor is around,” said Norman. 
“ Do you remember the time he put that dead coon 
in Joe Landre's bunk, Fred?” 

Warner laughed heartily at the recollection. 

“vl don't think I'll ever forget it,” he said. “ He 
got a rise that time all right.” 

“ I should think your Hibernian friend would come 
to grief sometime,” commented the General. “ That 
is usually the fate of a practical joker.” 

“ The boys on the drive did throw him into the lake 
once,” said Norman, “ when they caught him imper- 
sonating the Windigo one night ; but it didn't do much 
good. He was up to his tricks again at the first oppor- 
tunity.” 

“ He appears to be a good-hearted fellow,” said the 
General. 

“ None better,” agreed Norman. “ That's one rea- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


95 


son why the boys never hold any grudge against him 
for his pranks. He’d risk his life any time to save a 
friend.” 

For an hour or more they sat in the warm little 
cabin, discussing the events of the day, when suddenly, 
from the woods in the rear of it, there came a mighty 
shout as of many voices joining in unison. It was 
loud, and weird, and long-drawn-out. 

‘‘ Something’s doing,” announced Warner, as they 
made their way out of doors. 

From a small cleared place back of the cabin came 
the glimmer of an open fire. 

Making their way quietly through the woods, they 
carefully concealed themselves behind a fringe of bushy 
low-growing firs that circled the little clearing. The 
sight that met their gaze was an astonishing one. A 
good-sized brush fire was burning at one side of the 
little clearing in whose light a band of gaudily painted 
Indians were seen dancing about a post set in the 
center of the open space, to which Lord Matterson was 
securely bound. The Indians, with feathered head- 
gear and gorgeous blankets, were dancing about the 
prisoner, flourishing enormous tomahawks, and paus- 
ing now and then to give vent to wild war whoops, to 
the very evident dismay of their captive. 

There was no mistake about it. In the center of 
the circle was the tall form of Sol Soc brandishing a 
big tomahawk, and looking as wild and blood-thirsty 
as any of his forefathers. 


96 


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They’ve got the big chief into this/’ whispered 
Norman to Fred. 

“Sh!” whispered Warner. “He’ll do ’most any- 
thing for Barney O’Connor. Besides he never was 
much impressed with my lord.” 

“ But surely Larry Hunt must have got wind of 
this,” said Norman. “ I’m surprised that he’d stand 
for it.” 

“ I reckon it wouldn’t hurt Larry’s feelings any to 
see Matterson hazed a little,” said Fred. “ He heard 
him complaining about the food the other day.” 

“ About the food,” repeated Norman in amazement. 

“ I never heard before of any one’s kicking on Felix 
Lamarre’s cooking.” 

“ It was probably better than he ever got at home,” 
responded Warner, in a low tone. “ That was simply 
the Englishman in him. I could see, though, that it 
made Larry hot under the collar. I don’t believe 
he’d shed any very bitter tears if Matterson left the 
camp.” 

“ Wah-hoo-oh-hoo-ah-hoo-wow ! ” chanted the war- . 
riors, as they danced about the dazed Englishman. 

“ I see now what Barney O’Connor wanted of those 
turkey feathers,” whispered Norman. “ He’s certainly 
a genius in getting up costumes.” 

“Sh! They’ll hear you,” cautioned Warner. 

Suddenly the circle of dancing warriors came to a 
halt, and with uplifted tomahawks gave vent to a 
mighty warwhoop. Following this they sat upon the 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


97 


ground and solemnly smoke a big long-stemmed pipe 
which was passed around the circle. 

Then one of them, rising, addressed his companions. 

‘‘ Brothers,” he said, in a deep voice, ‘‘ what is your 
will that we do with the pale-face ? ” 

“ Burn him ! burn him ! ” came the answer in chorus. 

“ Noble Chief,” said another brave, rising in his 
place, “ The Great Spirit gave the red men these woods, 
and the game in them, that we might live and rear our 
families after the manner of our fathers, and now 
comes this haughty pale-face from across the waters 
to plunder our birthright. Not content with the game 
that falls to his own rifle, he ranges the woods, kills 
spotted fawns unfit for food, and helps himself to the 
deer the rest of us have shot. As a result we are with- 
out food, and our squaws and papooses go hungry.” 

For the first time the astonished Englishman found 
his voice. 

“ But, I say, I say — that’s wrong — a beastly mis- 
take, don’t you know,” he interposed. I was the first 
man to lose a deer — the only one I’ve shot — I assure 
you upon my honor, sir, I never meddled with any 
other man’s game. Your children aren’t going hungry 
on my account.” 

Your hear the denial of the pale-face,” said the 
chief. “Shall we credit his statement?” 

“ Pretty good English for a wild man,” whispered 
Norman. 

“Sh!” warned Fred. 


98 


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‘‘Sure, it’s desavin’ us he is,” said another of the 
braves. 

“ Big Chief O’Connor,” chuckled Warner. 

“ We sartin never lost any deer afore he came here,” 
said another of the braves. 

“ Big Injun Benner,” whispered Norman. 

“You have heard the denial of the pale-face, which 
is questioned by some of our braves. You also heard 
the evidence against the pale-face as given in our 
secret conclave. What shall we do with him?” again 
demanded the chief. 

“ Burn him ! Burn him ! ” again shouted the braves 
in chorus. 

“You have spoken,” said the chief. “Let us now 
chant the death song.” 

Once more the braves formed in a circle and moved 
with slow and solemn tread, around the prisoner at 
the stake. 

“ Wah-la-hoo-la hoo, Wolly woo-hoo, Boss-e-noo- 
koos Boss-e-noo Peri-noo-koos O see boo-moos Boss- 
e-noo-koos Boss-e-noo,” they chanted, in a wild, weird 
chorus. 

Suddenly the line broke, and with one accord the 
braves began to gather brush and pile it about the 
prisoner. 

“ He’s certainly got nerve,” whispered Norman to 
Fred. 

The Englishman’s face was pale; but no plea for 
mercy came from his lips. His mouth was closely shut. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


99 


and he was evidently determined to meet his fate with 
a firm front. 

Suddenly from the forest a new figure — an indi- 
vidual of imposing height and mien — appeared on the 
scene. 

“ Hold, braves ! ” he shouted, in commanding tones. 

What means this ? 

“ ’Tis a pale-face. Grand Sachem, condemned to die 
at the stake for stealing our game,’’ explained the chief. 

“ And have you not heard, my brothers, how Big 
Chief Sol this very day captured the real thief ? ” said 
the new-comer, in a tone of expostulation. 

‘‘ But after all he is a pale-face from across the 
water invading our happy hunting grounds,” protested 
the chief. 

“ ’Tis well,” said the new-comer. Give him a 
chance for life. Let him run the gauntlet.” 

“ The gauntlet ! The gauntlet ! ” shouted the braves 
in chorus. 

A double line of warriors was formed, and the Grand 
Sachem, untying the Englishman, conducted him to the 
head of the lane thus formed. A moment later he 
dashed away between the two lines of howling braves, 
emerging into the open a moment later, somewhat 
dishevelled but in good running form, and made his 
way to the big camp at a rapid rate, almost running 
into Norman and Fred in his mad flight. 

There was a burst of uproarious laughter from the 
braves as he disappeared. Several of them put out 


lOO 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


the fire by throwing a few pails of water upon it, and 
presently the party dispersed. 

“ I see you did not take any part in to-night’s fun,” 
remarked Norman to his father, when they were back 
again in the little cabin. 

“ There are times,” said the General, when dis- 
cretion is the better part of valor. Besides ” — he 
paused abruptly. 

'‘Besides what?” questioned Norman. 

“ Well, I don’t think a little judicious hazing will do 
Lord Matterson any harm, although nobody but a man 
unfamiliar with conditions in this country, and espe- 
cially in the good State of Maine, could possibly have 
been deceived by to-night’s performance.” 

“ It was pretty crude,” agreed Warner. 


CHAPTER IX 


Hanson’s moose 

“We have made different arrangements about our 
hunting trips hereafter, Norman,” announced General 
Carver as they left the camp the morning follow- 
ing Lord Matterson’s harrowing experience with the 
“ Indians.” 

“What are they?” asked Norman. 

“ You see,” explained General Carver, “ Mr. Ham- 
ilton is emphatically of the opinion that it is almost 
impossible for a large party successfully to still-hunt 
deer. In short, he is very much of the opinion that 
more than two make a crowd on such occasions. I 
have come to the conclusion that he is right, so through 
the kindness of Mr. Hunt, we have made new arrange- 
ments. Mr. Warner is to remain with you,” continued 
the General. “ I doubted if you would be quite satis- 
fied with any other plan,” he added, with a smile. 

“ I certainly should not,” declared Norman, promptly. 

“ I shall feel that you are quite safe in his hands,” 
said the General. “ He has certainly shown himself 
to be a very competent guide.” 

“But who is to guide you?” interposed Norman, 
impatiently. 

lOI 


102 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Sol Soc,” announced the General, with a smile. 

Sol Soc,” repeated Norman, in surprise. “ Why, 
I thought that he — ” 

‘‘Was guiding the Portland men?” interrupted the 
General. “ Well, so he was, but they are going out 
to-morrow. A fine lot of game they will take with 
them, too. Let's have a look at it.” 

They passed to the north end of the big camp, across 
the front of which, on a long log stringer spiked to two 
logs, the tops of which leaned against the end of the 
building, with their bottom ends securely buried in the 
earth, was a most imposing array of game, neatly 
dressed, and hung up for inspection. There were two 
big moose, and more than a dozen deer. 

“ Sol's parties never go away empty-handed,” was 
Norman's comment. “ That is certainly as fine a show- 
ing of game as can be found anywhere in the Maine 
woods. What a load it will make. Surely those Port- 
land fellows should be more than satisfied.” 

“ I think they are,” said the General, “ inasmuch as 
Mr. Hunt informs me that they are all planning to 
come again next season.” 

“ I shall be sorry to see them go,” said Norman, 
soberly. “ They are a jolly crowd.” 

“ So they are,” admitted the General. “ A crowd 
of grown-up boys. I have an idea, though, that quon- 
dam Indians and lynchers will be considerably less 
numerous in these woods after they have gone.” 

“ They were practical jokers, all right,” admitted 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


103 


Norman. “ When they couldn’t find other victims, 
they didn’t hesitate to practise upon one another. Bar- 
ney O’Connor will be disconsolate when they are gone.” 

“ He is going himself,” announced the General. 
‘‘ His work will take him to Grand Lake for the next 
week or two, although he will probably be here off and 
on until the snow flies.” 

“ You will be in good hands with Sol,” said Nor- 
man, confidently. “ He is the king of guides. You 
will be sure to get all the game the law allows. I don’t 
want you to shoot that albino buck, though. I’m going 
to get him myself.” 

The General laughed. 

‘‘ I don’t think you are in much danger from me,” 
he said, “ at least until I get over the attacks of buck 
fever that turn me into a statue whenever I catch sight 
of a deer.” 

“ You’ll get over that,” declared Norman, confi- 
dently. ‘‘ They all do ; but who is going to guide 
Mr. Hamilton ? ” 

“ Mr. Benner.” 

Jim Benner,” exclaimed Norman, joyfully. “ I 
didn’t know Larry would let any one have him for a 
guide.” 

Mr. Hunt seems willing to do almost anything 
we ask him to,” said the General, with a smile. He 
is very accommodating. Besides, with all the woods- 
men who are coming and going on this tote-road, it 
is not a difficult thing for him to get all the men he 


104 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


wants for rough work. What sort of a guide do you 
think Mr. Benner will make ? ” 

“ A good one/’ declared Norman, promptly. 

Mr. Hamilton has taken quite a fancy to him,” 
said the General. “ He looks upon him as a good deal 
of a homespun philosopher.” 

‘'Who will guide Lord Matterson?” inquired Nor- 
man. 

“ He will be his own guide,” announced the General. 

“His own guide!” exclaimed Norman, in amaze- 
ment. “ He’ll get lost the first thing he knows.” 

“ Both Mr. Hamilton and I have tried to dissuade 
him from his purpose,” said the General, “ but he is 
very obstinate about it. He says he has been about 
enough to get the general lay of the land, and, with 
the aid of his pocket compass, he feels very confident 
that he will experience no difficulty in finding his way 
wherever he desires to go.” 

“ He has a lot to learn,” said Norman, in a tone of 
disgust. “ It is never safe for any man to go into the 
big woods alone.” 

“ I quite agree with you,” coincided the General, 
“ but all our arguments have failed to convince him.” 

“ I see his finish,” asserted Norman, with conviction. 

In the little cabin, Fred Warner was busily cleaning 
and putting in order the shotguns and rifles belonging 
to Norman and the General. He was very careful in 
his performance of such work, and, as a result, the 
equipment of his party was always in perfect condition. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


105 


“ You are getting along nicely without me, Fred,’’ 
said Norman, as he watched his friend a moment from 
the doorway. I think I’ll follow along the top of 
the horseback and see if I cannot scare up a partridge 
or two. I’ll take the shotgun,” he said, picking up 
a hammerless Remington which Fred had just cleaned. 

“ Well, I wish you good luck,” said Warner. ‘‘ I 
reckon that gun will shoot all right, if it’s properly 
pointed.” 

“ If it isn’t, it won’t be your fault,” returned Nor- 
man, with a laugh. 

He crossed the road and slowly climbed the steep 
ascent of the horseback behind the big camp. Along 
its top ran a well-worn road, over which Larry Hunt 
had hauled his wood the previous winter. Through 
the fringe of forest trees that covered the steep sides 
of the horseback, Norman could catch an occasional 
glimpse of the large wet meadow stretching away from 
its base, and through which wound the sluggish cur- 
rent of the dead water formed by the dam at Sebois 
Bridge. It was a crisp autumn morning. The air 
was laden with woodsy odors, and, as Norman walked 
along, he felt his pulses throb with the tonic of the 
forest. Two scolding moose birds, or Canada jays, 
followed closely after him. doubtless hoping to feast 
upon the game he might kill, or share in his noonday 
lunch. Noisy red squirrels scurried among the tree- 
tops, volubly reproaching him for his invasion of their 
ancestral domain. From the broad meadow below him 


io6 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


a startled blue heron rose hurriedly and winged her 
rapid way to a towering hemlock that grew on the 
opposite slope, before he had a chance to shoot at her. 

After going along the woods-road for about half a 
mile, Norman turned from it, and made his way down 
the side of the horseback to the meadow below. It 
was a broad, level expanse, covered with tussocks of 
sphagnum moss, and rose-colored sheep laurel. Here 
and there the coarse wool-grass grew in rank profusion. 

Around the sides of this open area was a heavy 
growth of evergreen trees, that cast their sombre shad- 
ows on its level surface. The meadow stretched from 
the foot of the horseback in a vast semi-circle, and, as 
Norman glanced along its woody fringe, he saw a sight 
that made him gasp with amazement. Standing in 
plain view, just beyond the forest growth, was an 
immense moose, almost black in color, with towering 
front and wide-spreading antlers. It was evident from 
the movements of his great rounded bulbous nose, or 
maufle, that he had been feeding upon the wild grasses 
of the meadow. Norman’s first impulse was to shoot; 
but he suddenly remembered, with dismay, that he 
carried only a shotgun, and that the bird shot with 
which it was loaded would be ineffective for the shoot- 
ing of big game. Turning abruptly about, he scram- 
bled to the top of the horseback, and made his way 
along the old woods-road at the top of his speed. Dash- 
ing into the little cabin shortly after, he dropped his 
shotgun, and seizing his Winchester rifle, raced back 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


107 


again along the top of the horseback, closely followed 
by Fred Warner, who had watched his excited move- 
ments with amazement. 

What is it?” he called. 

‘‘A — big — bull — moose,” returned Norman, over 
his shoulder, as he raced along. Soon after he scram- 
bled over the side of the horseback, and looked eagerly 
towards the spot where he had seen the moose. 

‘‘ He’s gone ! ” he gasped. 

‘‘Where did you see him?” asked Warner. 

“ Over there — just in front of that clump of cedars,” 
returned Norman, pointing to the place where he had 
seen the moose. 

“ He probably saw you or scented you,” said Warner. 
“ If he did it’s not likely that he’s in this vicinity now. 
When anything starts a moose he’s liable to run some 
miles before he stops.” 

Together they made their way to the spot where the 
moose had stood. 

“ He got out of here right lively,” said Warner. 
“ Went right up over the horseback. My ! what bounds 
he made ! ” he added, as he examined the tracks of the 
departed forest king. “ He evidently got away in some- 
thing of a hurry.” 

For a mile or two Warner trailed the moose, Nor- 
man following along in admiration of the thorough 
woodcraft which enabled his companion to keep a track 
so blind in places that Norman could not perceive the 
slightest suggestion of it. 


io8 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ We sha’n’t come up with him in a hurry,” said 
Warner, as they paused at the edge of a deep swamp. 

“ No,” agreed Norman, dejectedly. “ We’ve lost 
him. It’s just my luck,” he added, disconsolately. 

It’s a good sign to see one,” said Warner, cheer- 
fully. “ I think we shall have a good moose for you 
to take along with you when you get ready to go 
home.” 

“ I hope so,” returned Norman. We’ll try for one 
anyway, old boy,” he added, more hopefully. 

Norman’s feelings were not improved at supper-time 
when Richard Hanson, a sportsman from Massachu- 
setts, arrived at the big camp and exultantly announced 
that he had shot a big bull moose on the edge of the 
meadow. 

“ My guide and I were coming down the dead water 
in a canoe just as it was beginning to grow dark,” he 
explained. “ Suddenly I looked up and saw a big moose 
standing on the other side of the meadow. I tell you 
he looked as big as a mountain! It was a long shot, 
but I was lucky enough to drop him in his tracks.” 

“ That fellow got my moose,” said Norman, gloom- 
ily, to Warner, as the happy hunter made his way into 
the dining-room. 

‘‘ Perhaps not,” said Fred, consolingly. “ It may 
have been another one.” 

‘‘ No,” said Norman, decidedly, ‘‘ I’m sure it was 
the same one I saw. He had recovered from his fright, 
and came back to the meadow to feed.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


109 


Big game belongs to the man who shoots it,” said 
Warner, with a smile. 

“ It does,” agreed Norman. ‘‘ Don’t think I am 
laying it up against Hanson. I appreciate his good 
fortune.” 

‘‘ Still, you cannot help wishing you could have shot 
that moose ahead of him,” completed Warner, with a 
smile. “ It’s the way with sportsmen.” 

‘‘ Not true ones, Fred,” said Norman, with an effort. 
“ I’m ashamed of my selfishness. I think I’ll go in 
now and congratulate Mr. Hanson on his good for- 
tune.” 

“ I’m afraid Hanson is headed for trouble,” said 
Warner. 

“ Why?” 

‘‘ Well, you see, his license only permits him to shoot 
one moose. This makes the second one he has killed. 
He already has one hung up at the end of the camp.” 

‘‘ He’s getting more than his share,” said Norman. 

‘‘ It often happens that way in the woods,” returned 
Warner. “ Some men seem to tumble on to game 
apparently more by luck than good wit, while others 
hunt hard and fail to find it. I don’t believe that 
Hanson will undertake to carry out more than one 
moose, however.” 

“What makes you think so?” asked Norman. 

“ Why, he can only move one on his license.” 

“ Oh, yes, I know,” interposed Norman, impatiently, 
“ but he can move him on the license of some one of 


no 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


his friends. None of the rest of them have got a 
moose.’' 

Then they’d both run the risk of getting into 
trouble,” declared Warner. “ The game law is pretty 
stringent when it comes to moose. Besides,” he con- 
tinued, “ the boys here in camp have made up their 
minds to eat one of those moose.” 

A good moose steak would be a fine addition to 
our bill of fare,” said Norman. 

Keep your ears open,” advised Warner, with a 
laugh, “ and hear the old-timers work Hanson. They 
are ready for him.” 

Supper was not far advanced when, in some way, 
the violation of the game law became the general topic 
of conversation. Story after story was told of the 
heavy fines and long jail sentences that had been meted 
out to eminent sportsmen who had been guilty of 
endeavoring to get away with a greater number of 
moose than the law allowed them. The opinion was 
very generally expressed that any man who was fool- 
ish enough to “ monkey with the moose law ” was 
reasonably certain to come to grief. 

Hanson took no part in the conversation; but he 
looked very red and uncomfortable over the turn the 
conversation had taken. 

‘‘ They had him going all right,” whispered Warner, 
as they left the dining-room. “ I think Larry Hunt 
is about due to get a moose.” 

The following day was Sunday, which is always a 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


III 


long one in the big woods. Under the Maine law, the 
day is a close time on game. 

Norman was lingering for a moment in the big office 
after dinner to listen to the conversation of the group 
of guides, who were enjoying their pipes and swapping 
hunting yarns about the big stove, when Hanson came 
out from the dining-room and laid a hand on his 
shoulder. 

“ Do you know where that beaver dam is ? ’’ he asked. 

“ Yes,’’ said Norman, “ it’s about six miles from 
here on Coldwater brook; I’ve been up there several 
times.” 

“ Would you mind going up with me? ” asked Han- 
son. ‘‘ I’ve never seen one, and they tell me it’s quite 
a sight.” 

‘‘ I shall be very glad to go with you,” said Norman, 
promptly. 

Later in the afternoon they stood on the shores of 
a good-sized pond which was made by the damming-up 
of the brook. Along the shores of the stream were the 
stumps of trees which showed where the beavers had 
cut their timber supply. The dam was constructed of 
sticks and mud put together in a most skillful and sub- 
stantial manner. It was semi-circular in shape, and 
sc thoroughly built that it flowed back the water of 
the brook for several miles. 

“ This is certainly wonderful ! ” exclaimed Hanson, 
as he gazed upon it with surprise and admiration. 
“ Just think of a work like this being done by little 


II2 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


animals! I tell you it shows a high order of intelli- 
gence.” 

“ And engineering skill,” added Norman. 

“ If I didn’t know that it was the work of beavers, 
I should not think it possible for them to accomplish 
such a task,” continued Hanson. 

“ The beaver dams hold back a good deal of water 
in this country,” said Norman. “ When I was on the 
drive last spring the boss sent a man through this coun- 
try to blow out the beaver dams, in order to give us 
more water for floating our logs.” 

“ It was too bad to destroy their work I ” exclaimed 
Hanson. 

“ It did seem a little wanton,” admitted Norman, 
but everything in this country has to yield to the 
necessities of the lumber camp and the drive.” 

“ I suppose so,” said Hanson. “ There isn’t much 
sentiment in the conquest of the forest.” 

Later, as they were returning to camp, Hanson 
broached the subject which was evidently on his mind. 

‘‘ What do you think of my taking out both of those 
moose ? ” he asked. 

‘‘ Your license only permits you to move one,” 
returned Norman. 

‘‘ I know it,” conceded Hanson, “ but I have a friend 
who could take one of them out as his.” 

“ Have you brought in the one from the meadow ? ” 
Yes. Benner and the Indian went round with the 
buckboard and brought him out this morning.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


113 

And he’s hung up with the other one at the end 
of the camp? ” questioned Norman. 

“ Yes,” admitted Hanson. 

“ Of course you know that there are woodsmen and 
tote-teamsters coming and going at Larry’s all the 
time,” said Norman. ‘‘ It’s the most popular place 
on the long tote-road.” 

“You’re right!” interposed Hanson, with convic- 
tion. “ Those moose are in a public place. They are 
sure to excite inquiry and comment. It’s quite likely 
that the game wardens at Patten have already heard 
about them, and are waiting for me.” 

“ What’s the verdict?” asked Fred, a little later, as 
Norman rejoined him, and General Carver, in the little 
cabin. 

“ I think we shall eat moose meat to-morrow,” 
returned Norman, with a smile. 


CHAPTER X 


THE CAPTURE OF THE CUBS 

There was, as Jim Benner expressed it, “ a spittin’ 
o’ snow ” in the air, and the cold wind was whistling 
through the forest trees the following morning, when 
Fred and Norman made their way across the tote-road 
for an early breakfast, at the big camp. 

Up the slope beyond the Sebois, the heavy team of 
Pete Bedotte was making its laborious way, hauling 
a heavy buckboard well loaded with game, and carry- 
ing Hanson, and a number of his Massachusetts friends, 
to the railroad station at Patten. 

“A good moose an’ ’leven deer!” ejaculated Ben- 
ner, as he stood watching their departure. ‘‘ Them 
fellers hev sartin sure ben lucky.” 

‘‘ And had good guides,” added Norman, with a 
laugh. 

“ That goes without sayin’,” remarked Benner. 
“ Guides never shoot anything in this kentry. It’s alius 
th’ sports, if we kin believe th’ marked papers they 
send us, when they git back hum. Mighty hunters 
them fellers air fer sure, when they reach th’ cities.” 

“ A guide, theoretically at least, is part of a sports- 
man’s outfit,” explained Warner. “ Whatever game 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


115 

he gets, therefore, is theoretically shot by the sports- 
man.” 

“ There’s a mighty lot o’ game goes out o’ these 
’ere woods, that’s got theoretically,” sniffed Benner. 
‘‘ Do you mind thet Jedge Sprowl an’ Lawyer Dodge 
who were up here th’ fust o’ th’ season with their 
wives ? I never saw two women es afeared o’ shootin’ 
irons as they was. They made their husbands keep 
their guns an’ cartridges in th’ big camps. I don’t 
s’pose ye could ‘a’ hired one on ’em to hev fired a gun 
with a hundred feet o’ hay wire. Sol Soc was a-guidin’ 
of ’em, an’ es usual he scraped together a mighty smart 
lot o’ game fer ’em, and when they got hum ther’ was 
a big long piece in th’ paper ’bout the terrible execu- 
tion they had done among th’ game up here. It closed 
up by sayin’, ‘Mrs. Sprowl an’ Mrs. Dodge each shot 
a buck.’ When I read thet t’ th’ boys, ye ought t’ 
beared ’em laugh.” 

“ Those polite little fictions are the glory of the 
Maine woods, Jim,” said Norman. “ No one ever 
thinks of questioning them in the city.” 

“ They can’t,” said Benner, “ when a man has th’ 
game along with ’im t’ prove ’em. Don’t you boys 
go to gittin’ too hungry,” he added. “ If ye’ll hold 
your bosses a spell, ye kin hev some moose meat fer 
breakfast. Come on, boys,” he shouted, opening the 
door to the big office. “ Th’ coast is clear.” 

Half a dozen guides promptly made their appearance, 
headed by Sol Soc, and at once began the work of 


ii6 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


skinning and cutting up the moose that had been left 
behind by Hanson. 

There ought to be enough to last all winter/' com- 
mented Norman, as he watched the operation with 
great interest. 

“How much do ye suppose he’ll weigh?" said 
Benner. 

“ Oh, about a ton," ventured Norman. 

Benner laughed good-naturedly. “ Thet would sure 
be a whale of a moose," he said, “ but 'most every feller 
gets fooled on the weight of a moose afore he weighs 
a few. Ye see, they stand so tall an' hev so much 
front, specially when they hev a big spread of antlers, 
thet they look monstrous in th’ woods. Ye must 
remember, though, thet they run very largely t' legs. 
A 1200-pound moose is a mighty big one. There air 
more on 'em that won’t weigh over 600. This one is 
a good-sized one, but he is considerable shy of a thou- 
sand pounds.” 

“ He looked as big as a mountain to me when I saw 
him alive on the edge of the meadow," confessed Nor- 
man. 

“ I dare say," chuckled Benner. “ It’s a way they 
hev." 

An hour later, in company with General Carver, the 
boys sat down to a breakfast of moose steak cooked 
in Felix Lamarre’s best style. 

On account of the disagreeable weather. General 
Carver decided to remain in camp and write some let- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


117 

ters, but, nothing daunted, Norman and Fred were 
soon making their way up an old woods-road. 

“My! this wind is penetrating!” exclaimed Nor- 
man, as he paused to shelter himself a moment behind 
a big hemlock. 

“ This is a bad day for hunting,” said Warner, as 
he pulled his fur cap a little further down over his 
forehead. 

“ All wild animals are keenly alive to weather con- 
ditions. They are specially apprehensive when the wind 
blows. To-day they will all be on the alert, listening 
to every new sound, and ready to run at the slightest 
alarm. When the big trees are swaying and groan- 
ing, and the rotten hearts go crashing to the ground, 
is a mighty poor time to go after game. All the wild 
creatures seem to feel, instinctively, that such days are 
fraught with special dangers to them, and are difficult 
to approach. They pin their confidence to the sun- 
shine, and a clear, still day is always the best for a 
sportsman. It’s no great trick on such a day for a 
careful hunter to find game in these woods, and the 
partridges, that fly wildly away on a day like this, will 
almost run from under foot.” 

“ It has seemed to me as if you guides never found 
an ideal hunting day,” remarked Norman, with a laugh. 
“ It’s either too cold, or too windy, or too wet, or too 
dry.’’ 

“ The perfect hunting day is something of a rarity,” 
confessed Warner. “ Still, with good fortune, sports- 


ii8 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


men manage to get game on all kinds of days.” 

“ Who knows,” said Norman, hopefully, “ but that 
we may possibly run across that albino buck ? ” 

“ I should hardly expect to,” returned Warner, 
doubtfully. “ Still, stranger things have happened. 
One thing is certain. It’s the man who hunts that 
gets the game.” 

Presently, as they reached the brow of a hardwood 
ridge, Warner paused abruptly, and took a careful look 
at a tree which grew beside the woods-road. 

“ Here’s trouble,” he announced, in a low tone. 
“ There was a deer hung up here a short time ago.” 

‘‘ And those thieves have got in their work again, 
have they?” asked Norman, with a quick glance up 
and down the road. 

These were four-footed thieves — bears,” said 
Warner, pointing to some tracks in the soft earth. 
“ An old one and two cubs,” he added, after a more 
careful scrutiny. “ They have dragged the deer down 
into the hollow. If we work carefully you may get 
a chance to see an unusual sight — a live bear in the 
woods.” 

“ Why, aren’t there bears in these woods ? ” de- 
manded Norman. 

** Very many of them,” returned Warner, ‘‘ but they 
are wonderfully keen-scented, and never wait for 
trouble. As a result, sportsmen rarely get a glimpse 
of them, unless, as sometimes happens, with their noses 
in blood or honey.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


119 

I should like to get some cubs/’ declared Norman, 
with enthusiasm. 

‘‘What would you do with them?” asked Warner. 

“ Make pets of them,” returned Norman. 

“ I reckon you’d soon get sick of them,” said War- 
ner. “ They are rough playfellows.” 

Working cautiously down the side of the ridge, the 
boys came, presently, upon a large bear busily feast- 
ing upon the body of the deer. With her were two 
partially grown cubs that were doing their best to 
assist her in the work. Arrested in her repast, by the 
sudden breaking of a twig under Norman’s foot, she 
paused abruptly, and rising upon her hind legs, faced 
them with angry growls. She was a large animal, 
and her big teeth and jowls dripping with blood made 
her a formidable-looking foe. 

Norman felt his hands close more firmly upon his 
rifle. 

“ Now,” said Warner, in a low tone. 

Both rifles cracked simultaneously, and the big bear, 
staggering forward a step or two, fell to the ground, 
and lay quite still. 

“ Go slowly,” said Warner, laying a restraining hand 
upon Norman’s arm. “ I think we’ve got her, but it 
doesn’t pay to take chances.” 

The two cubs were evidently demoralized at their 
mother’s death. For a moment they ran about her, 
licking her face, and, apparently, endeavoring to attract 
her attention, and then, as the boys closed in on them. 


120 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


they hastily climbed a spruce tree that grew near at 
hand, from the upper limbs of which they growled their 
displeasure. 

“ Hurrah ! this is something worth having ! ” 
exclaimed Norman, exultantly, as he paused by the 
body of the big bear, and gave it a poke with his 
rifle. 

“ She’s our game all right,” responded Warner, with 
quiet satisfaction. 

‘‘ Gotum bear ? ” inquired a deep voice behind them, 
and, turning in surprise, the boys beheld Sol Soc stand- 
ing near them in the shadow of a big hemlock. So 
quietly had the Indian approached that they had failed 
to hear him. 

‘‘Yes, isn’t she a good one, Sol?” said Norman, 
joyfully. 

The Indian gave the body of the bear a careful 
inspection. 

“ Ugh ! Good skin,” he commented, briefly. 

“ It’s certainly in prime condition,” agreed Warner, 
laying his hand on the long, glossy fur. 

“ Both shootum,” said the Indian, examining the 
dead bear more closely. 

“We both fired; but I was so excited I didn’t think 
I hit her,” confessed Norman. 

“ Both good shot,” said Sol, in a tone of approval 

“How did you blow in here?” inquired Norman. 

“ In woods. Heard shots,” explained the Indian. 

Norman laughed. “ I see,” he said. “ The Gen- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


I2I 


eral didn’t have anything else for you to do to-day, 
so he told you to follow us up.” 

The faint shadow of a smile played across the stolid 
features of the Indian; but he made no reply. 

Taking a big hunting-knife from a sheath at his belt, 
he set to work, assisted by Warner, in removing the 
skin from the body of the bear. 

‘‘ Him makum good rug,” he announced a little later, 
as he threw it across a dead-fall. 

“ We’ll hang it up wrong side out near the big camp,” 
said Warner, “ and let the moose birds clean it for us. 
They’ll take off every scrap of flesh.” 

“ Good meat,” said the Indian, as he cut off some 
generous steaks from the haunches of the bear, and 
stowed them away in his knapsack. 

‘‘ For those that like it,” said Norman, with a grim- 
ace. A little of it will go a long way with me.” 

A low whine came from the top of the spruce in 
which the young bears had taken refuge. 

“ Wantum cubs? ” asked the Indian, reaching for his 
rifle, which he had leaned against the dead-fall. 

He wants them alive, Sol,” interposed Warner, 
hastily. 

“ Big cub,” said the Indian, doubtfully. 

“ I want them just the same,” said Norman. 

“ We getum,” said the Indian, promptly. “ Wait 
here.” He shouldered his rifle, and quickly disap- 
peared up the woods-road in the direction of the big 
camp. 


122 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ I’m afraid those cubs will get away,” said Nor- 
man, nervously. 

“No fear,” said Warner, confidently. “ They won’t 
come down while we are here.” 

It was more than an hour later when the boys were 
relieved to hear the sound of an approaching buckboard 
as it bumped its way along the rough woods-road. 
Presently Jim Benner and one of the men at the camp 
put in an appearance with the team used for hauling 
out game. They were accompanied by Sol Soc, who 
made his appearance a little ahead of them, carrying 
an axe, and a coil of rope. This he unwound, after 
he had leaned his axe against the dead-fall, displaying 
two lassoos. 

“ You takum dis,” he said, handing one of them to 
Warner. 

“ Wal ! wal ! thet’s a good bar,” said Benner, as he 
left the buckboard and joined them. “ How did ye 
git her ? ” 

“We caught her with her nose in blood,” explained 
Warner, pointing to the half-eaten body of the deer. 

“Ye certainly was in luck,” said the veteran, heart- 
ily. “ Thet’s a prime skin, an’ I don’t reckon the 
boys’ll turn up their noses et all thet fresh meat. Aha, 
ye little raskils ! ” he exclaimed, catching sight of the 
cubs. “ Want me to lay thet tree down, Sol? ” 

The Indian nodded. 

“ Wal, here goes,” said the veteran woodsman, as 
he picked up the axe. He approached the spruce and 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


123 


with a long swing sunk the keen blade deep into its 
trunk. 

The cubs moved about uneasily on their lofty perch, 
emitting low growls. 

“ Makes ’em sort o’ narvus,” remarked Benner, paus- 
ing to glance up at them. 

For a few moments the chips flew industriously. 

Under !” shouted Benner, warningly, as the tall 
tree began to totter. 

The boys stepped aside hastily, and, with a mighty 
crash, the spruce fell to the ground. 

With a bound Warner and the Indian were after 
the dazed cubs, and had the slip-nooses about them. 
They fought desperately, with growling protests at the 
rough usage accorded them, but, with the assistance of 
the boys, and a fresh supply of rope from the buck- 
board, they were soon overcome, and securely bound. 

It was with some difficulty that Benner and the team- 
ster overcame the fear of the horses sufficiently to get 
the buckboard into position to load them and the body 
of the old bear upon it, but this task was finally accom- 
plished, and the party made its slow way back to the 
big camp in triumph. 

With the assistance of some of the guides, strong 
leather straps were put around the necks of the cubs, 
and they were soon securely chained to a tall fir tree 
near the big camp, where they speedily became objects 
of special interest to all its visitors. 

I’m going to call them Jim and Joe,” announced 


124 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Norman, and by these names they speedily became 
known to all their admirers. 

For a time they were inclined to be sulky, but in a 
few days they grew accustomed to their new surround- 
ings, and became as playful as kittens. 

“ ’Most any wild animals kin be tamed if ye use ’em 
decent,” said Benner, as he watched their antics a few 
days later. “ Jest see how freely th’ deer show them- 
selves in close time. Don’t seem t’ be th’ least mite 
afeared; but th’ minute the rifles begin t’ crack in th’ 
big woods they go inter hidin’ an’ if ye catch sight o’ 
one ye’ve got t’ look mighty sharp. When I was 
yardin’ on th’ East Branch a few years ago some o’ 
th’ boys found a fawn, whose mother had ben killed, 
an’ fetched it inter camp. We took turns bringin’ it 
up on a bottle. Pretty soon it got so tame it would 
follow th’ men round like a dog. It was a mighty 
affectionate little critter. We kept it until into th’ 
winter an’ then we boxed it up an’ sent it to a park 
at one o’ th’ soldiers’ homes, where we knowed it would 
be safe an’ get th’ best o’ care. I tell ye th’ boys got 
attached t’ th’ little thing an’ kind o’ hated ter part 
with it.” 

‘‘ A neighbor of mine,” said Warner, “ had a tame 
buck that his children brought up from a fawn. He 
had no fear of any one, and would come at call. He 
made his home in the orchard. He seemed to regard 
that as his special domain, and would chase away the 
sheep whenever they invaded it. He stayed there all 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


125 


summer and until late in the fall. One day the folks 
saw that a wild doe had come out of the woods and 
joined him. Soon after he disappeared, and they have 
never seen him since.’’ 

“ A tame moose makes a great pet,” said Benner. 

We had one with us when I was lumberin’ over on 
th’ West Branch one season. He stayed pretty close 
t’ th’ camp all winter, an’ th’ boys left ’im thar when 
they went on th’ drive in the spring.” 

“ He doubtless fell a ready victim to the first hunter 
who came along,” said Norman. 

Very likely,” agreed Benner. “ Most wild critters 
die violent deaths.” 


CHAPTER XI 


THE BATTLE OF THE MONARCHS 

‘‘ This darkness is almost thick enough to cut with 
a knife.” 

Norman Carver shivered as he spoke, and nestled 
closer to the bottom of the big canoe which Sol Soc, 
with strong, easy sweeps of his paddle, was driving 
up the dead water. 

“ New moon prettum quick,” announced the Indian. 

It’s a good night for calling moose,” said Fred 
Warner from the other end of the canoe. 

Can you call them, Fred?” asked Norman. 

Warner indulged an amused chuckle. 

“ Oh, yes, I can call them,” he answered, “ but the 
trouble is they won’t come. Soc appears to be the 
only one who can bring them. It’s a case where many 
call, but few are answered.” 

‘‘ I imagine that there is quite a knack to it,” said 
Norman. 

“ A good moose-caller is a rare bird,” assented 
Warner, but you will have a chance to-night to listen 
to the king of them all.” 

The autumn wind swept coldly across the stretch of 
meadow, through which the dead water wound its way, 
126 






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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


127 


stirring the sheep laurel and coarse grasses with a thou- 
sand garrulous voices. The tall trees that reared their 
mighty branches high in the air, on the more elevated 
ground beyond the meadows, creaked dismally as they 
swayed to and fro. A few belated birds’ voices sounded 
sleepily from a cedar thicket, while now and then a 
muskrat, disturbed by the passage of the canoe, close 
to the soddy shore, plunged, with sudden splash, into 
the cold waters of the stream. Presently the crescent 
of the new moon rose slowly above the tall hemlocks 
that grew on the crest of the horseback, and cast a 
pale ribbon of light across the meadow. The Indian 
laid aside his paddle, and drew the canoe closely in 
against the laurel bushes that grew beside the shore. 
Cautioning Norman and Fred to hold it tightly in this 
position, he took from the bottom of the canoe a roll 
of birch bark shaped something like a megaphone. 
This he placed in his lips and gave out a cry so weird, 
and melancholy, and long-drawn-out, that it made 
Norman shiver with apprehension. He was experi- 
encing a new form of Sol’s many-sided woodcraft. 

‘‘ Ugh-ugh-ugh-00-00-00-00-00-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0,” the 
long, plaintive cry went echoing away among the 
wooded hills. 

‘‘ Sounds like the wail of a lost spirit,” Norman com- 
mented. 

“ Keepum still,” cautioned the Indian, in a low voice. 
“ Moose, him gotum big ears.” 

For a few moments they waited in silence, straining 


128 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


to catch, above the cold voices of the night, some 
answering note, but none came. 

Again the Indian lifted his bark trumpet, and sent 
forth his harrowing call. 

This time, far up the horseback, there came an 
unmistakable response, and, presently, they could hear 
the movement of a large animal making his way 
through the trees and underbrush down the side of 
the horseback. 

‘‘ Sounds like some one chopping wood,” remarked 
Norman, as a succession of short guttural grunts was 
borne to them on the cold wind that swept across the 
meadow. 

The sounds came nearer and nearer, when suddenly 
similar sounds were heard coming from the hardwood 
ridge on the opposite side of the dead water. 

“ Dere two moose,” announced Sol, briefly. 

Now comes the tug of war,” commented Warner, 
in a low tone. 

The two huge kings of the forest made their way 
to the dead water, uttering their hoarse, guttural calls, 
and stopping now and then to listen. Presently with 
low, angry grunts, they stood facing one another on 
opposite sides of the narrow stream. To Norman their 
dark bulks, as they stood dimly revealed in the faint 
moonlight, looked like veritable mountains. Both were 
bulls of exceptional size, and with wide-spreading ant- 
lers. 

There was a short interchange of challenges, when 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


129 


suddenly one of the bulls plunged into the water and 
swam to the other side to meet his antagonist. Scarcely 
had he landed, and shaken the drip from his long hair, 
when with a hoarse bellow of rage his waiting foe 
closed in upon him. It was a battle royal. Back and 
forth with locked horns the two powerful animals 
swayed and plunged, each apparently endeavoring to 
push the other into the dead water. The impact of 
their broad spreading palmate antlers sounded sharply 
in the darkness, like a succession of rifle shots. 

Presently one of them appeared to gain an advantage 
over the other, and slowly pushed his weaker antagonist 
towards the bank of the dead water against which the 
canoe was sheltered. A sudden alarm seized Norman. 

“ Look out ! ” he called sharply to the Indian. 

The effect of his voice was magical. The fighting 
bulls stopped abruptly, and, with frightened grunts, fled 
precipitously into the deep woods beyond the meadow. 
With a long sweep of his paddle the Indian swung the 
canoe into the middle of the dead water. 

Moose gone ! ” he said. 

“ WeVe lost ’em both,” declared Warner, mourn- 
fully. I wasn’t looking for them to get away so 
quickly.” 

It was all my fault,” confessed Norman. “ I lost 
my nerve. I was afraid that biggest one would push 
the other into the canoe. I might have known, though, 
if I’d stopped to think, that Sol would have looked out 
for that. He was all ready with his paddle.” 


130 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Warner laughed, ruefully. 

“ I don’t blame you,” he said. A swimming match 
with a moose was certainly not a very inviting pros- 
pect.” 

“ I’m ashamed of myself,” said Norman. “ I should 
have had sense enough to trust to better men.” 

“We tryum again,” said the Indian, hopefully. 

“ At any rate we saw a good fight,” added Warner, 
with an attempt to console Norman for his disappoint- 
ment. 

“ Yes, it was well worth coming out to see,” admit- 
ted Norman; “but I cannot help thinking how much 
better I should have felt if we could have got one of 
those moose.” 

“We allowed ourselves to become too much inter- 
ested in the fight,” said Warner. “ The next time we’ll 
shoot quicker.” 

“ Perhaps we’ll not get a chance,” said Norman, 
gloomily. 

“ Oh, yes, we will,” said Warner, hopefully. “ Those 
are not the only moose in this country.” 

“ Dis great place for moose,” added the Indian. 

With long sweeps of his paddle Sol drove the canoe 
down the dead water, apparently following the channel 
by intuition. A little later Norman and Fred were 
back in the little camp relating their adventure to Gen- 
eral Carver. 

Early the following morning the boys were out in 
the deep woods making their way along an old road 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


131 

in search of game. ‘‘ If persistency counts for any- 
thing, we’ll certainly win,” declared Norman. 

The wind had come up out of the northwest in an 
ominous black cloud that seemed portentous of rain. 

The deer won’t be moving to-day,” declared War- 
ner, with a glance at the sky. “ They’ll lie low in 
the thickets and the ash swales.” 

Well, they’ll have to do some moving to get there,” 
said Norman. 

‘‘ Yes,” admitted Warner, “ they are doing that.” 
He paused, and closely scrutinized some tracks in the 
road. 

“ A buck and a doe went along this very road not 
long ago,” he said. 

“How do you know that?” demanded Norman. 

“ Easily enough,” replied Warner. “ These tracks 
are as plain as a book. The ones with the broad, 
rounded toe are the tracks of a buck. The ones with 
the sharp pointed toe are the tracks of a doe. You 
can always note that distinction.” 

Warner’s prediction that the deer were in hiding 
was speedily shown to be true. A short trip over some 
hardwood ridges showed conclusively that no game was 
working on the high ground. Then began a careful, 
systematic searching of the ash swales and the mead- 
ows along the water courses; but not a glimpse of a 
deer or moose rewarded their efforts. 

“ The deer don’t have to see us or hear us,” com- 
plained Warner. “ This wind is whiffling about so 


132 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


that it is simply impossible to get to the windward of 
them. They can scent us a mile. The dry weather 
of the past few weeks has brought them close to the 
water supplies. These swales are just full of them, 
even if we cannot get near enough to see them. Just 
look at their works,” he added, pointing to a number 
of well-defined paths that wound their way, from the 
brook they were following, up the mossy slopes of the 
black growth. “ See how closely the bushes are crop- 
ped. Here’s where a lot of them lay last night,” he 
continued, pointing to a stretch of swale grass which 
was matted down in a number of places. “ Shouldn’t 
wonder if they hadn’t been gone more than a minute 
or two.” 

Continuing along a stretch of black growth, they 
came presently to a place where the bark had been torn 
from several small fir trees, and large foot-prints were 
plainly visible in the soft soil of the woods-road. 

Moose works,” announced Warner, briefly. 

“ He must be near here,” said Norman, glancing 
about him, as if expecting to see a monarch of the 
forest in the act of feeding. 

Warner laughed. 

‘‘ He’s probably some distance away,” he said. The 
moose is a wandering animal, constantly on the move — 
here to-day and fifty miles away to-morrow.” 

‘‘What big fellows they are!” exclaimed Norman, 
with a vivid recollection of the battle he had witnessed 
the night before. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


133 


“ A full-grown Maine moose will measure from six 
to seven and one-half feet to the top of his fore-shoul- 
der/' said Fred, “ and his antlers will have a spread of 
five feet or more from tip to tip. He is always at his 
best in the fall. In his prime, his color is almost jet 
black, but, as he grows older, it becomes streaked with 
brownish gray. The first palm, which is small, does 
not appear in the antlers of a moose until he is three 
years old. His antlers continue to grow in size and 
spread for several years more. Indeed, the Indians, 
who are close observers, say that they do not attain 
their full size until the sixth year.’’ 

He is certainly a majestic animal in his home coun- 
try,” said Norman. 

Presently, as they walked along, Warner led the 
way into an oak and alder swale a number of acres 
in extent. 

“ Here’s where some moose worked last fall,” he 
said, pointing to a number of broken bushes and 
small trees. “ There haven’t been any here this year, 
though.” 

“ Do you mean to tell me that moose broke down 
those tree-tops?” asked Norman, incredulously. 

Looks like a long reach, doesn’t it ? ” returned 
Warner, with a smile. 

It doesn’t look possible,” said Norman. 

Well, it is,” insisted Warner. Did you ever see 
a moose work ? ” 


No.” 


134 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ Well, they get right astride of those small trees, 
ride them down by their weight, and feed off their 
tops/’ 

From the big swale the boys made their way along 
an old logging road that led up over a ridge heavily 
grown with birch, beech and maple. 

They paused to rest at the brow of a hill, and, 
through an open space in the forest growths, made by 
a big ravine that wound its way into the valley below, 
they secured an excellent view of old Sugar Loaf 
Mountain in the near distance, its rugged sides heavily 
covered with black growth. 

“ All the men who hunt these woods are not as good 
shots as you, Fred,” remarked Norman. “ A good 
many more deer must be wounded than are killed.” 

“ There are,” said Warner. ‘‘ We frequently get 
them showing the scars of former bullets. It’s sur- 
prising what a lot of lead they will lug off sometimes.” 

‘They must suffer.” 

“No doubt they do,” admitted Warner. “ Hunters 
give little thought to that, though. When a deer is 
wounded it crawls away into some dark thicket and 
waits for Nature to repair damages, which it usually 
does in a surprisingly short time. I know of one deer 
that had a leg shot off at the ankle by a rifle ball. She 
was tracked a long distance by the bloody prints she 
left on the snow. But Nature took care of the wound 
by covering it with a ball of cartilage, and it was sur- 
prising how lively she could get about in the woods.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


135 


“ I should never want to think that I had inflicted 
such a misfortune on a dumb animal,” said Norman, 
soberly. 

“ I’m afraid you wouldn’t make a good hunter,” 
said Warner. 

“ The longer I stay in the woods, the more I have 
my doubts of it,” confessed Norman. “ Still,” he 
added, reflectively, I shouldn’t mind a shot at that 
albino buck.” 

“ And I certainly hope you’ll get it,” said Warner, 
heartily. 

Norman was about to reply when there was a sud- 
den crashing in the underbrush, and a moose shot by 
them in full flight and went leaping down the ravine. 
Norman was about to fire, when Warner laid a restrain- 
ing hand upon his arm. 

“ Don’t shoot,” he said. It’s a cow.” 

Aren’t we allowed to shoot a cow moose ? ” asked 
Norman, lowering his rifle. 

“ No,” returned Warner, it’s against the law.” 

“ But we’re allowed to shoot does,” protested Nor- 
man. 

‘‘ That’s true,” conceded Warner, “ although I have 
some doubt as to whether we ought to be. Deer, how- 
ever, are considerably more plentiful than moose, which 
are getting scarce. As a result, cow moose are pro- 
tected by law. There is a very heavy fine for any 
man who shoots one, and the wardens are very active 
in hunting them up.” 


136 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Norman was about to reply when the boys were 
startled by loud shouts that came from further down 
the ridge. 

‘‘ Help ! Help ! ’’ called a voice, in stentorian tones. 

The boys made their way in haste in the direction of 
the call, and presently found themselves beneath a 
wide-spreading beech tree, in the branches of which 
was perched Lord Matterson. 

‘‘ Look out ! look out ! ” he shouted, warningly. 
‘‘ There’s a moose round here.” 

“Why didn’t you shoot it?” demanded Norman. 

“ I couldn’t, don’t you know, I dropped my rifle,” 
explained the Englishman, pointing to his gun which 
lay upon the ground near the foot of the tree. 

Warner burst into a guffaw of laughter. 

“ My — ! O my, but this is funny! ” he ejaculated, 
as he leaned against the tree. 

“ Aw, really now, don’t you know, I don’t see any- 
thing to laugh at,” said Lord Matterson, in an injured 
tone. 

“ It must have — ha ! ha I — been that — ha ! ha ! — 
cow,” gasped Warner. 

The Englishman slid nimbly to the ground. 

“ Cow? cow? What do you mean? ” he demanded. 

“ It was a cow moose,” explained Warner, control- 
ling himself with an effort. “ She passed Norman and 
me a few minutes ago at a 2.10 gait.” 

“ She’s in the next township by this time,” remarked 
Norman. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


137 


“ And are n’t they — aw — dangerous ? ” asked the 
Englishman, doubtfully. 

“ They are nearly as fierce as a sheep,” said Warner. 

“ And as blood-thirsty as a rabbit,” added Norman, 
solemnly. 

‘‘ But — don’t you know — aw — Mr. Benner said 
you always shot moose from trees,” protested the 
Englishman. 

“ Mr. Benner is a joker,” said Warner, dryly. 

This is — aw — simply preposterous ! ” exclaimed 
the Englishman, angrily. “ Really, I must admit that 
I don’t understand your American humor.” 

“ It is rather deep,” admitted Warner. Possibly 
Jim has been accustomed to shoot his moose from trees; 
but the rest of us prefer to fire from a more comfort- 
able position.” 

“ The outrageous old liar ! ” exclaimed the English- 
man, wrathfully. 

“ It’s fortunate for you that you didn’t shoot that 
cow,” continued Warner. If you had you’d have 
been liable to a five-hundred-dollar fine.” 

Accompanied by Lord Matterson, the boys started 
back to camp. The Englishman immediately lapsed 
into a moody silence, and it was plain to see that his 
thoughts were not pleasant ones. 

‘‘ What an ass ! ” he exclaimed presently. ‘‘ If I’d 
had brains enough, don’t you know, to have hired a 
guide, as I was advised to do, he would have saved 
me from this ridiculous exhibition of myself.” 


138 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ He surely would/’ agreed Warner. 

“ And by the way, boys,” continued the English- 
man, humbly, “ you would oblige me greatly if you — 
aw — wouldn’t mention this — aw — little affair, at 
the camp.” 

“ Sure,” said Warner. 

“ We’ll keep it quiet,” agreed Norman. 

“ Aw, thanks,” said the Englishman, gratefully. 
“ I assure you I shall appreciate it. It’s humiliating 
enough to make an ass of one’s self, without getting 
a reputation for being a coward in the bargain.” 


CHAPTER XII 


NORMAN SHOOTS A MOOSE 

The day following Lord Matterson’s harrowing 
experience with the cow moose found Norman and 
Fred hunting as industriously as ever. 

“ What should I do, Fred, if I should get separated 
from you, and lost?” asked Norman. 

“The first thing to do,” returned Warner, “would 
be to keep a cool head. Many people, when they find 
themselves lost in the woods, appear to part immedi- 
ately with all the horse sense they ever possessed. 
They act like wild men. The first thing to do would 
be to fire three shots in rapid succession. Wait a short 
time for answering shots, and then, if none come, 
repeat. That is a signal that you are lost, and if any 
of the guides hear you they will certainly come to your 
assistance. If that fails, the next best thing is to find 
running water and follow it down. The brooks flow 
into the streams, the streams into rivers, and the rivers 
always lead — ” 

“ To the sea,” interrupted Norman. 

“ Yes-,” conceded Warner, “ and they also lead to 
civilization. The man who is cool-headed, and follows 
the trail of running water, is sure to find his way out 
139 


140 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


of the woods, usually in two or three days at the long- 
est. Besides that, he is always liable to run across a 
sporting or lumber camp, which are always built near 
water supplies.” 

“Were you ever lost?” 

“No. I have been accustomed to the woods from 
a child, and besides I reckon I was born with a sense 
of direction.” 

“ I thought only Indians had that,” said Norman, 
lightly. 

“ It is true that all Indians have it,” said Warner. 
“ I have known many of them, and have never seen 
one to whom the wilderness was not like an open book. 
It is also true that there are many white men .who have 
the same faculty, although I do not believe that, as a 
rule, their instincts are as unerring.” 

As they talked, the boys were making their way 
along a hardwood ridge, and finally paused at a point 
where it sloped abruptly away into the black growth 
of the valley. 

“ We’ll hide behind this old dead-fall,” announced 
Warner, as he paused beside the trunk of an immense 
hemlock. 

“ The wind is blowing towards us, and this slope is 
a great run-way for deer and moose in making their 
way to the ridge.” 

The boys promptly concealed themselves, and, after 
half an hour’s patient wait, Norman’s heart beat faster 
as he heard the unmistakable sounds of a large animal 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


141 ’ 


making his way up the slope. Nearer and nearer it 
came, pausing now and then to browse and listen. 
Norman could hear an occasional twig snap under its 
tread, and the sound of its big antlers as they threshed 
through the undergrowth. 

“ It’s a moose, and a big one,” whispered Warner, 
excitedly. 

Norman took a firmer hold upon his rifle, and his 
pulses bounded at the thought of a shot at a real forest 
monarch. At last he felt that his patience and perse- 
verance were about to be rewarded. The steps came 
nearer, and the moose was nearly in view, when sud- 
denly there was a quick veering of the wind. The 
approaching moose gave a hoarse snort of surprise, 
and fled precipitously down the slope, giving no chance 
for a shot. 

“ He scented us,” said Warner, in a tone of chagrin. 
“ That wind changed just at the wrong time.” 

He sounds like a team of horses running away 
through the woods with a hayrack,” commented Nor- 
man, as he listened to the moose making his frantic 
way through the black growth. 

“ They don’t stop for anything when they are 
scared,” said Warner. I venture to say he won’t 
stop running until he has put at least fifty miles 
between us.” 

It’s a sportsman’s luck,” said Norman, good- 
naturedly. “ What can’t be cured must be endured. 
We must hunt up another one.” 


142 


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‘‘We are losing altogether too many chances to suit 
me,’’ complained Warner. “ I’m exceedingly anxious, 
old boy, for you to get a moose.” 

“Try never was beaten,” said Norman, hopefully. 
“ This is our lucky day. I feel it in my bones.” 

As he spoke the boys were startled by a hoarse honk- 
honk, and they looked up to see a flock of wild geese 
flying above their heads. In a moment Warner’s rifle 
was at his shoulder, and a sharp report echoed through 
the forest. 

“Good for you, Fred!” shouted Norman, joyfully, 
as one of the geese fell fluttering to the ground. “ That 
vras a great shot.” 

“ Come on,” shouted Warner, as he raced swiftly 
down the slope. “We mustn’t lose sight of him. They 
are great fellows to hide.” 

The boys made their way quickly to the black growth 
in the valley, where the goose had fallen, and presently 
came upon it in a thicket of firs. It was evidently 
badly wounded, but, as the boys approached it, it thrust 
out its beak and hissed viciously. Again Warner raised 
his rifle, and this time he shot away the head of the 
wounded bird. It was one of the largest of its species, 
in fine condition, and the boys were not a little elated 
at its capture. 

“ I did not expect to get anything when. I fired,” 
admitted Warner. “ It was simply a try for luck.” 

“And good fortune was with you,” added Norman, 
cheerfully. “ That was better than I could have done. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


143 


Fred, in a hundred years. This will make partial 
amends for the loss of that moose.’^ 

Warner rummaged in his pockets for a few moments, 
and turned to Norman with a blank look on his face. 

“ I’m dished ! ” he exclaimed, in a tone of disgust. 
“ I’ve used my last cartridge. I had my belt laid out 
on the bed, and we came away in such a hurry that I 
forgot to take it.” 

“ Never mind,” said Norman, consolingly. “ You 
can have some of mine.” 

Warner laughed, ruefully. 

‘‘ I’m afraid that cartridges for a 30 Winchester 
wouldn’t work very well in a 45 Marlin,” he said. 

You’ll have to do all the shooting.” 

“ And you must be ready to climb a tree at short 
notice, if you depend upon my marksmanship,” declared 
Norman. 

“ I’ll risk you,” returned Warner, confidently. 

Making their way along a bush-grown woods-road, 
the boys resumed their hunt. Presently Warner laid 
down his rifle, and, climbing a tree, tied the; goose to 
one of the limbs. 

‘‘ It’s a waste of energy to tote this round,” he said. 

We’ll get it when we go back to camp.” 

Resuming* their tramp, they came to a heavy growth 
of spruce where the tall, straight trees, growing closely 
together, had killed out the underbrush. The growth 
beneath them was covered with a thick carpet of moss, 
over which they made their way with noiseless tread. 


144 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Presently Norman felt Warner’s hand close upon his 
arm with vice-like grip. Following the direction of 
his companion’s glance, he was amazed to see an enor- 
mous moose standing in a clump of small firs that grew 
beyond the spruces. He was facing in the opposite 
direction, and, apparently, had not heard them approach. 

Norman felt his heart beat fast, and his breath come 
quick with excitement. He made a motion to hand 
his rifle to Fred, but Warner shook his head. Nor- 
luan felt his hand tremble as he took careful aim at 
the moose. With a determined effort he steadied him- 
self, and fired. 

There was a grunt of surprise, and the moose fled 
swiftly through the woods. 

‘‘ You’ve hit him ! ” cried Warner, exultantly. “ He’s 
going on three legs.” 

‘‘ Do you mean to tell me that he can get through 
the woods as fast as that on three legs ? ” demanded 
Norman, dubiously. 

“ They can cover an amazing lot of ground when 
you wouldn’t think they could go at all,” said Warner. 
“ Come on. We’ll get him.” 

The boys hurriedly followed up the trail of the moose. 
Warner pausing a moment to call Norman’s attention 
to a small pool of blood where he had stood. 

“ It’s a good trail,” he announced, cheerfully. “ He 
can’t get away.” 

‘‘ It looks to me as if he had got away,” said Nor- 
man, nervously. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


145 


“We can run him down/’ declared Warner, con- 
fidently. 

He took the trail of the moose, and followed it at 
a dog trot, with Norman following close behind. For 
a time frequent drops of blood assisted them in their 
pursuit; but, presently, these became less and less fre- 
quent. 

“ He isn’t bleeding so much now,” announced 
Warner. 

“ I’ll bet he’ll get away from us,” said Norman, 
despondently. 

“ No, he won’t,” insisted Warner. “ He’s leaving 
a trail as big as a house.” 

For a mile or so further Norman panted after 
Warner in his efforts to keep up with him. Finally 
he stopped short. 

“ Come on,” shouted Warner. 

“ Do you mean to tell me that you are trailing that 
moose?” declared Norman, skeptically. 

“ Certainly I am,” responded Warner, promptly. 

“ I haven’t seen the first sign of him for the last 
mile,” declared Norman. 

Warner knelt and pointed to a place where the 
decayed wood of an old windfall had been freshly 
crumbled. 

“ There’s his track,” he said. 

“ You’re right,” admitted Norman. “ Go on, Fred. 
Your eyesight is better than mine.” 

“ Only darkness can lose this trail for us,” asserted 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


. 146 

Warner, “ and we shall come up with him before that.” 

They promptly resumed their pursuit of the wounded 
moose. The trail led them from the black growth 
along the side of the hardwood ridge, then up the slope 
and along its crest towards the point from which they 
had started. 

He’s circling,” said Warner. “ Perhaps he’ll come 
back to meet us.” 

“ Do they ever do that?” asked Norman, in alarm. 

“ Sometimes — when they get tired. I’ve had them 
do it, too, when I’ve been trailing them on the crust 
in winter, and their forelegs got sore. I tell you they 
mean business then. They are looking for trouble, 
and anxious to find it. There’s only one thing to be 
done then.” 

‘‘What’s that?” demanded Norman. 

“ You’ve just got to kill them,” declared Warner, 
with emphasis. “ There’s no two ways about it. If 
you don’t, they’ll kill you.” 

“ Don’t you think you’d better take this rifle? ” asked 
Norman, nervously. 

“ No,” replied Warner, “ It’s your moose and I want 
you to get him.” 

“ I wish I had as much faith in my ability to shoot 
as you have,” said Norman, dubiously. 

They paused for a moment at the end of the ridge, 
where it made its sharp descent into the black growth. 
Here they waited a moment to listen. 

“ Sh ! ” cautioned Warner, as a sound of breaking 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


147 


twigs came from down the slope. Steady now, old 
boy! He’s coming back.” 

Through the bushes that covered the side of the hill 
Norman presently caught sight of the immense bulk 
of the moose as he hobbled up the incline. With trem- 
bling hand he fired at him, but his bullet went wide. 

“Climb!” shouted Warner, sharply, as he swung 
himself into the branches of a fir tree that grew beside 
the woods-road. 

Norman hastily made his way up a beech tree whose 
wide-spreading branches made easy climbing. In his 
haste he had the misfortune to drop his rifle. He had 
no time to recover it, for almost immediately the moose 
made his appearance over the side of the hill, and 
charged him furiously. 

The eyes of the wounded forest monarch were blood- 
shot and blazed with savage wrath. He made his way 
beneath the limb upon which Norman was perched, and 
glared up at him balefully. 

“ He’s chuck full of fight, but twenty minutes late,” 
shouted Warner. “ Give him a little more lead.” 

“ I can’t,” returned Norman, dolefully. “ I dropped 
my rifle.” 

“ Where is it? ” 

“ Right here under this limb.” 

“ Let it stay there,” returned Warner. “ You can’t 
afford to take any chances.’^ 

“ I don’t want to. I feel a good deal better right 
where I am,” confessed Norman. 


148 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


It’s about the healthiest place you can be in right 
now,” said Warner. “ Can’t you fish up that gun ? ” 

‘‘ I’ll try,” said Norman. 

He took his hunting knife from the sheath in his 
belt, and, climbing further up the tree, cut off a long, 
slender limb. He proceeded to trim off the smaller 
branches with the exception of a part of the lower one. 
Standing upon three legs, the moose watched his move- 
ments with suspicion. One of the animal’s forelegs 
hung helpless and it was evident that Norman’s shot 
had broken it. As the forest monarch stood thus at 
bay he seemed to Norman to be of enormous size. His 
bulbous lower lip was trembling with rage, and he 
tossed his broad antlers up and down in a very frenzy 
of wrath. 

‘‘ Do you suppose you can call this fellow away, 
Fred?” he shouted. “I’ve got my hook.” 

“ I’ll try,” responded Warner. “ What do you pur- 
pose to do ? ” 

“ I’m going to try to get this hook through the handle 
of my ejector, if the moose will give me a chance.” 

“ That’s a good scheme,” returned Fred. “ I’ll try 
to entertain him.” 

As he spoke Warner cut a limb from the tree in 
which he was sheltered, and taking some string from 
his pocket, carefully tied his hunting knife to the end 
of it. “ Makes a pretty good spear,” he said, as he 
exhibited it to Norman. 

At the sound of Warner’s voice the moose turned. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


149 


and, suddenly recognizing the presence of another 
enemy, charged in his direction. 

As he came beneath the tree where he was sheltered, 
Warner reached down and gave him a savage jab with 
his improvised spear. 

The moose gave a grunt of rage and backed away, 
a small stream of blood trickling from a cut on his 
nose. 

Fish away,’’ shouted Warner. ‘‘ I reckon I have 
him anchored here all right. Be careful that you don’t 
fall, though,” he cautioned. “ There wouldn’t be much 
left of you, if you did.” 

‘‘ I won’t take any chances,” asserted Norman. He 
fixed himself firmly in the lower branches of the beech, 
and, reaching down with his pole, began to fish for 
his gun. After a number of attempts he was at last 
successful in passing the hooked end of his pole through 
the handle of the ejector of his rifle, and, with a shout 
of triumph, pulled it up into the tree. 

“ Hurrah ! ” he yelled, exultantly. ‘‘ I’ve got it.” 

“ Steady there. Go slow. Take your time,” advised 
Warner. “ Remember I’m up this tree.” 

‘‘ Don’t be afraid, Fred,” returned Norman, I 
won’t shoot in your direction.” 

“ Better take him just back of the fore-shoulder,” 
advised Warner. 

An excellent opportunity was afforded Norman to 
act upon this suggestion, for the moose, becoming sus- 
picious, suddenly turned, and faced in his direction. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


150 

Steadying himself against the trunk of the beech, 
Norman thrust the barrel of his rifle through the 
branches, and took careful aim. This time his bullet 
went true. The big moose swayed unsteadily for a 
moment and pitched forward upon his head. Once 
more Norman fired at him as he lay upon the ground. 

“ Good boy ! ” shouted Warner, approvingly. 
“ You’ve got him. He’s our meat.” 

For a few moments the boys waited to make sure 
that the moose was really dead, and then descended 
to the ground. 

“He’s a beauty!” declared Warner, as they stood 
looking at the fallen forest monarch, “ and in prime 
condition, too.” 

Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a folding car- 
penter’s rule and carefully measured from tip to tip 
of the spreading antlers. 

“ Sixty-five inches,” he announced. “ There won’t 
be a finer head go out of these woods this season.” 

“ I’m going to have it mounted,” declared Norman. 
“ It will make a great piece for our front hall at home.” 

“ It will also be a reminder of a very exciting experi- 
ence,” added Warner. “ My! but that was a close call. 
If you ever catch me forgetting my cartridge belt again, 
you may discharge me at once.” 

“ I am rather glad you did,” admitted Norman, 
“ for if you hadn’t I should have depended upon you 
to shoot this moose. As it was — ” 

“ You simply had to shoot him yourself,” interrupted 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


iSi 

Warner, with a laugh. ‘‘You deserve all the credit, 
old boy, and Tm mighty glad for you.’’ 

“ You are too modest, Fred,” interposed Norman. 
“ If you hadn’t been with me to trail this moose I 
never should have seen him after I first shot at him.” 

“ It’s hard making you take credit for anything, 
Norman, even when you deserve it,” protested Warner. 
“ We’d better hustle back to camp now. I want to 
get in with the buckboard and get this moose out before 
dark. It’s fortunate we shot him on this ridge,” he 
added. “ It will be a good deal easier to move him.” 

In rare good spirits the boys started on their return 
to the camp, well satisfied with themselves and the 
world. 

“ A moose and a goose,” said Norman. “Not a 
bad day’s work, old boy,” he added, giving Warner a 
hearty slap on the back. 

Warner laughed, joyously. 

“ Moose and goose,” he repeated, whimsically. “ You 
notice they rhyme. Can’t you combine them in a 
poem ? ” 

“ They are both poems, already,” declared Norman, 
with conviction. 

As may well be imagined, the announcement that 
Norman had shot a fine moose created quite a flutter 
of excitement at the camp, and Norman found himself 
the envy of all the sportsmen. 

General Carver, who was waiting to inform the boys 
that, with the valuable assistance of Sol Soc, he had 


152 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


shot a fine buck, felt quite overshadowed at the news. 
He congratulated his son most heartily, however, and 
assured him that the head of his moose should be sent 
at once to a skilled taxidermist in Bangor, and mounted 
in first-class shape. 

The buckboard, driven by Pete Bedotte, was imme- 
diately dispatched for the moose, Sol Soc and Jim 
Benner going along with the boys to assist them in 
loading it. By dusk, the carcass of the big forest 
monarch was hung up at the end of the camp — the 
admiration of all who beheld it. 

“ The meat is yours,’' said Norman to Larry Hunt. 
‘‘ All I want is the head.” 

‘‘ And I’ll see that it goes to Bangor in first-rate 
condition the first thing in the morning,” said the 
pleased camp-owner. “ Pete is going out to Patten 
with a party of sports and I’ll have him take it along 
and ship it. We’ll have roast goose for dinner to-mor- 
row,” he added. 

And we’ll be on hand to help you eat it,” said 
Norman, with a laugh. 



The Comforts of Camp Life 








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CHAPTER XIII 


NORMAN AND FRED MADE PRISONERS 

“ Did you ever see the beat of the way they grow, 
Fred?^^ 

Look out ! admonished Warner. 

Norman backed quickly away just in season to avoid 
the outstretched paws of one of the cubs, for the boys 
had been amusing themselves with Jim and Joe at the 
end of the big camp. ' 

He didn’t mean any harm,” expostulated Norman. 
‘‘ He only wanted to be sociable.” 

‘‘ But a sociable bear is always to be avoided,” 
returned Warner, with a laugh. “ They wouldn’t, 
intentionally, do you any harm ; but they are altogether 
too fond of getting their claws into good cloth just to 
have it rip. Perhaps you noticed that Lord Matterson 
wasn’t wearing that brown velveteen hunting suit when 
he struck up the horseback this morning, but had on 
his ’tweeds.” 

“Why — did he encounter another cow moose?” 
asked Norman. 

Both boys laughed heartily at the reference to the 
Englishman’s harrowing experience. 

“ You see,” explained Warner, “ he came out here 
153 


154 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


last night and undertook to get gay with the cubs. 
Oh, he had a lovely frolic with them ! ” 

“They entertained him, did they?” asked Norman. 

“ Yes, they gave him the glad hand, as it were,” 
responded Warner. “Jim in fact took him in his 
arms, and danced him three times round the tree. The 
performance brought out all the boys and I thought 
they’d die laughing. I tell you they were highly enter- 
tained, and shouted all kinds of good advice and encour- 
agement to the lord. Finally he broke away by sliding 
out of his coat, and went sprawling on his hands and 
knees. It was right there that playful Joe got in his 
work. He put his claws into the seat of my lord’s 
trousers and helped himself to about two yards of 
cloth.” 

“ He was certainly exacting,” said Norman. “ How 
did my lord get away with dignity ? ” 

“ He didn’t,” chuckled Warner. “ He rolled over 
and over until he got outside of the charmed circle, 
and then he bolted into the camp. I tell you he was 
a sight.” 

“ Must have been somewhat lightly clad for a cold 
day in the Maine woods,” suggested Norman, with a 
smile. 

“ He was all that,” admitted Warner. “ After he 
was gone Jim and Joe had a tug of war to see which 
one should have his coat. They both wanted it. When 
they got through their argument, it was reduced to 
ribbons.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


155 


In other words, they divided it,” said Norman. 

‘‘Yes, they were certainly fair about it,” returned 
Warner. 

“ Where were you planning to go to-day ? ” asked 
Norman. 

“ Up to the big bog. Your father and Sol are going 
on that ridge where we got the moose yesterday — so 
are Jim Benner and Hamilton, and, as far as I can 
learn, most of the other sportsmen.” 

Norman laughed. 

“ I think that will be a good place to stay away 
from,” he said. “ I suppose they all think they stand 
a chance to pick up that other moose.” 

“ Hope springs eternal in the sportsman’s breast,” 
declared Warner, solemnly. 

A little later the boys descended from the crest of a 
horseback and stood on the big bog or barren. The 
dry weather had made this passable, and numerous 
paths that led in and out among the gauca, or pole- 
laurel bushes, with which the big level expanse was 
thickly overgrown, indicated that it was a favorite 
resort for deer. Through the heart of the bog was 
a winding stream of sluggish water formed by the 
back flow of a big beaver dam further down the brook. 
Here and there heavily wooded elevations rose, like 
islands, from the surface of the big plain, and Warner 
asserted that they were favorite hiding-places for moose 
and deer. 

As they walked along on the soft moss Norman 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


156 

noticed that the bog was thickly grown with the pitcher 
plant, or huntsman’s cup. These curious, greenish- 
yellow, pitcher-shaped plants, with heart-shaped hoods, 
stood open and most of them were nearly filled with 
water. 

“ There’s no danger of our going thirsty,” said Nor- 
man, as he stooped to pick one of them. 

“ You must never drink the water from one of them,” 
cautioned Warner. 

“Why not?” demanded Norman. 

“ It would make you sick,” declared Warner. 
“ Pitcher plants are mere drowning-tanks for insects, 
and the water in them is bad. Just look at this.” 

He pulled up one of the plants, and poured its water 
slowly into the palm of his hand, exhibiting the bodies 
of several spiders, flies, and other small insects. 

“ You’ll find something of this sort in nearly all of 
them,” he said. “ If you get thirsty we’ll go over to 
that big island. There’s one of the finest springs of 
water there to be found in this section.” 

“ Isn’t it a good place for deer? ” asked Norman. 

“ One of the best.” 

“ Then let’s go there now.” 

“ All right. Just as you say,” responded Warner, 
cheerfully. “ The foundation of all these islands 
appears to be a granite ledge,” he continued, as they 
made their way across the bog by a well-beaten deer 
trail. “Looks almost as if some giant picked them 
up and dropped them down in the bog.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


157 


“ They may have been deposited Here by early gla- 
ciers,” suggested Norman. 

Possibly,” said Warner, skeptically, “ but I reckon 
the most of them are too large for that.” 

The island which they were approaching ran out 
into the bog in the form of a high point. As they 
approached it Norman was startled to hear from beyond 
the fringe of trees that covered this point what sounded 
almost like the bark of a dog. 

“ Weesh-00 ! weeshoo ! weeshoo ! ” it sounded shrilly. 

‘‘What's that?” demanded Norman, in a startled 
voice. 

“ It's a deer blowing,” explained Warner. “ Come 
on.” 

He started forward on the run, with Norman close 
at his heels. Presently they rounded the point of the 
island, but their game had fled. Far down the bog 
they caught a fleeting glimpse of a magnificent snow- 
white deer in full flight. 

“ The albino buck ! ” gasped Norman. 

“ This is twice weVe seen him in this vicinity,” said 
Norman. 

“ I reckon he hangs out round this bog,” said 
Warner. “ We'll have to lay for him here.” 

“ It's very evident we sha'n't get him to-day,” said 
Norman. “ Let's go up on the island and find that 
spring of yours.” 

The boys followed the deer path up the side of the 
incline, and presently reached the height of land. 


158 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


The island was a veritable oasis in the desert, and 
was thickly covered with spruce and fir trees. 

Near the center of this growth the boys suddenly 
emerged into a small clearing, in the back part of which 
stood a substantially built log cabin. 

‘‘ Somebody’s camping here,” announced Warner, 
pointing to a column of smoke that was curling from 
a joint of stove-pipe that extended above the roof of 
the cabin, ‘‘ and I reckon they are using our spring, 
too,” he added. 

Following a well-beaten path from the cabin, they 
soon came to a place where a clear, cool spring flowed 
out from under a granite ledge and made its way in a 
tiny brook towards the dead water. 

This is the best drink in the world,” declared Nor- 
man, as he filled his cup from the sparkling flow. 

“ Our Maine water supplies can’t be beat,” agreed 
Warner. “ These woods are full of fine springs.” 

‘‘And now what?” asked Norman, as he put his 
drinking cup back in its case, and replaced it in his 
pocket. 

“ I think we’d better have a peek at that camp,” 
suggested Warner. 

“ That’s a good idea,” agreed Norman. 

They made their way back to the cabin, and, finding 
the door unlocked, entered it. Leaving their rifles 
against the wall by the door, they proceeded to give 
it a leisurely inspection. It was evident that it had 
been in recent use, for a fire still burned in the cook- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


159 


stove that occupied the center of the room. The only 
light came through four skylight windows in the roof. 

In the further end of the room were two bunks, one 
above the other. These were filled with fresh boughs, 
and made up ready for occupancy. A large box fitted 
up with several shelves was nailed up against the back 
part of the camp, and filled with an assortment of crude 
cooking utensils and tin dishes. 

“ They’ve been frying bacon here and haven’t taken 
time to wash their dishes,” said Warner, exhibiting an 
iron spider to Norman which bore unmistakable evi- 
dence of recent use. 

‘‘Well, does it quite suit ye?” asked a deep voice, 
and the startled boys turned around to face the swarthy 
thief whom Sol Soc had captured in the act of stealing 
his deer. 

Neither of them answered, but Warner, in his con- 
sternation, dropped the frying-pan upon the floor. 

Recovering somewhat from their surprise, the boys 
perceived that the newcomer had taken possession of 
their rifles. He was eyeing them with evident satis- 
faction, but there was a sinister look in his small round 
eyes that was not lost upon them. 

“ I asked if it suited ye? ” he repeated, in cold, even 
tones. 

Norman found his voice. 

“ We see nothing to criticise,” he said. “ It seems 
to be a good camp.” 

“ I’m glad ye like it,” said the thief, with a malig- 


i6o 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


nant grin, for the both of ye air liable to stay here 
a spell.’^ 

‘‘What are you doing with our rifles?” demanded 
Warner. 

“ They air not your rifles,” responded the thief, 
coolly. “ They’re mine.” 

“You will have to answer for this,” said Norman, 
hotly. 

“ I’d advise ye t’ keep a civil tongue in yer head if 
ye want t’ save yerself trouble,” grunted the thief. “ I 
want ye t’ distinctly understand thet we ain’t servin’ 
no plum puddin’ to boys es goes round pokin’ their 
noses into other folks’ affairs. We’ve missed a good 
many things from this ’ere camp lately.” 

“You’re not accusing us of stealing, are you?” 
gasped Norman, incredulously. 

The newcomer shook his head, in a doubtful manner. 

“ I ain’t accusin’ nobody,” he said. “ All is, we’ve 
missed a lot o’ things lately, an’ I come in an’ ketch 
ye in the very act o’ overhaulin’ my camp. What am 
I t’ think?” 

“ You’re bluffing. You know very well that we 
haven’t taken a thing of yours,” said Warner, indig- 
nantly. 

“ Close up yer yawp,” said the thief, sternly. “ I 
won’t take none o’ yer sass. Understand thet.” He 
scowled at them in moody silence for a moment. “ Ye 
hed a fine time a-watchin’ thet redskin shootin’ et me, 
abusin’ o’ me, an’ makin’ a pack boss out o’ me,” he 


THE YOUNG GUIDE i6i 

said, bitterly, but I haven’t forgotten it, and as fer 
him,” a look of bitter hatred came over his face and 
his voice was choked with passion, I’ll put some cold 
lead inter his carcass one o’ these days.” 

You’d better make sure he doesn’t see you first,” 
said Norman, with spirit. 

I don’t intend he shall see me et all,” hissed the 
thief. 

What do you intend to do with us ? ” demanded 
Warner. 

Well, thet depends,” said the thief, slowly. If 
ye behave yerselves and do es I tell ye there sha’n’t 
no harm come t’ ye, but if ye go t’ cuttin’ up any 
capers ” — he shrugged his shoulders — well, rocks 
air plenty round here, an’ th’ dead water is quite deep 
in places.” 

“You mean you would murder us, do you?” 
demanded Norman. 

“ I told ye no harm should come t’ ye, if ye behaved 
yerselves,” said the thief, sharply. “ It’s all up t’ you. 
I want ye t’ understan’ distinctly, however, thet it’ll 
be wuss fer ye if ye go t’ gettin’ chesty. “ I’m goin’ 
t’ leave ye here a spell,” he added, with his hand on 
the door latch. “ If ye stay here quiet ye’ll be all 
right; but if ye undertakes to quit. I’ll shoot ye, sure 
es preachin’. I warn ye I sha’n’t be far away.” 

The thief left the camp, bearing both of the boys’ 
rifles, and a moment later Norman and Fred heard 
him slide a heavy bar across the door. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


162 

When he had gone they sat upon the rough deacon 
seat beside the stove and looked at one another in blank 
amazement. 

“ Fred/’ announced Norman, solemnly, “ we’re a 
couple of geese.” 

“ We deserve to be kicked to death by grasshoppers,” 
declared Warner, in a tone of chagrin. ‘‘We should 
have known better than to have laid aside our rifles.” 

“ But — ” expostulated Norman. 

“ Oh, yes, I know,” interrupted Warner, “ we weren’t 
looking for such things. One never expects anything 
but open-handed hospitality in a woods camp. Never- 
theless the fact remains that we were easy.” 

“ Yes, painfully easy,” admitted Norman. 

“ What time is it ? ” 

Norman looked at his watch. 

“ Two o’clock,” he announced. 

“ We’ve missed that goose,” said Warner, with a 
sigh. 

Norman gave a sorry laugh. 

“ Goose,” he repeated, in a tone of disgust. “ How 
can you think of such little things at such a time, Fred? 
I’d be mighty glad to eat fried pork and potato, if I 
could get back to camp.” 

“ So would I,” agreed Warner. 

Norman made his way to the front of the camp. 
He carefully removed the chinking and applied his eye 
to the peephole there made. 

“What do you see?” whispered Warner. 


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163 


“Sh!” warned Norman. “They are out there. 
There are three of them — two others as villainous- 
looking as the one who was just in here.'’ 

“ I think that's pretty nearly the whole gang," said 
Warner. “ There are only bunks here for four." 

“ How can we get out of here, Fred? " 

“ That's the least of our troubles," said Warner. 
“ We can take up two or three of these floor poles and 
tunnel under the back end of the camp without any 
great difficulty. The trouble will be to get away from 
the island after we get out." 

“We can’t do that before dark," said Norman. 
“ Could you find your way in the night ? " 

“ I think so. It wouldn’t do, though, for us to try 
to go back the way we came." 

“ Why?" 

“ That is the easy way, and the one they would 
expect us to take. They would be watching for us 
there. There is an old woods-road at the foot of the 
bog where they probably wouldn’t be looking for us; 
but it leads through a cedar swamp, and will be as 
dark as a pocket." 

“ You don’t expect them to leave us alone here after 
dark, do you ? " 

“ I don’t know," returned Warner, doubtfully. “ I 
reckon they won’t want to linger round here long after 
the guides get to hunting for us. Larry Hunt knew 
we were coming here, and you may depend upon it 
the boys will search this bog very thoroughly." 


164 


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They can’t do much to-night/’ said Norman. “ It 
will be dark before they begin to get worried about us.” 

Norman went to the front of the camp and peeked 
out through the hole in the chinking. 

What do you see?” demanded Warner. 

“ Nothing,” replied Norman. “ The coast is clear.” 

‘‘ I wish it were,” said Warner, doubtfully, “ but 
you may depend upon it those fellows are not far 
away.” 

He passed to the back of the camp, dug away some 
of the moss chinking, and looked out. 

“ That’s good ! ” he announced, with a sigh of satis- 
faction. 

“What’s good?” asked Norman. 

“ There’s a thicket of scrub firs in the rear of this 
camp. If we could get into those we might sneak away. 
One thing is certain,” he added, briskly, “ whatever we 
do must be done before dark. Some of those fellows 
will be sure to sleep here to-night, and then we shall 
be dished.” 

“ They are liable to drop in on us any moment,” 
said Norman. 

“We must take our chances,” returned Warner, 
grimly. 

Stepping to the rear corner of the camp, Warner 
pulled up two of the floor-poles, and passed his hand 
under the bottom log on the back of the camp. “ Black 
earth. This is easy,” he whispered. 

Jle went to the box cupboard and secured a large 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 165 

iron mixing spoon, and went to work industriously. 
Presently he paused. 

“Not a very large hole,” he announced; “but I 
reckon we can squeeze through.” 

“ Go ahead. Pm with you,” said Norman. 

Dropping on his stomach, Warner slowly wormed 
his way through the hole beneath the camp, Norman 
following closely after him. 

Scarcely daring to breathe, they tip-toed their way 
among the scrub firs, dodging from one cover to 
another. 

They had gone but a short distance when they heard 
loud exclamations and oaths uttered in excited voices 
coming from the direction of the camp. 

“We must move faster. Don’t make any noise,” 
whispered Warner, in a tense voice. “ They’ve dis- 
covered our escape.” 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE PURSUIT 

Straight for the back side of the island the boys 
held their course. Presently Warner led the way to 
a place where a big granite boulder jutted out into 
the bog. In front of it was an extra heavy growth 
of laurel bushes and tall wool grass. Warner dropped 
on his hands and knees, and then for the first time 
Norman perceived that the big rock sloped back into 
the shore of the island and overhung the bog. The 
space beneath it was not large, but nevertheless he 
managed to worm his way into it beside Warner. 

“ This is the best place to hide that I know of round 
here/’ whispered Warner. “ I chased a fox in here 
once. I am hoping that none of that gang has ever 
discovered it.” 

‘‘ They’re coming after us,” said Norman, in a low 
tone. 

From their place of concealment the boys could hear 
the discomfited thieves as they raced across the island, 
pausing to search out every thicket that seemed to offer 
a good hiding place. The leader was cursing loudly, 
and it was evident to the boys that he was in anything 
but a pleasant frame of mind. Presently he and one 

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167 


of his men stopped for a brief parley, and Norman 
could not restrain a start of surprise when he realized 
that they were standing on the rock beneath which he 
and Warner were concealed. 

It’s no use, Eke. We’re following a blind trail,” 
said one of them. 

‘‘ They’ll never get away from here, I tell ye,” 
responded the coarse voice of the leader, angrily. 
** They air somewhere on this ’ere island, and we’ve 
got t’ find ’em.” 

“ How do you know that they are on the island ? ” 
responded the other. ‘‘We can’t tell how long they’ve 
been gone. We wouldn’t have known they’d got away 
before dark, if I hadn’t gone into camp to pack up the 
things.” 

“ I tell ye thet, situated as we was, they could never 
hev got across the bog without our seein’ them,” 
insisted Eke. “ They air on this island somewhere, 
an’ it would be mighty slim punkins if us three grown 
men allowed ’em t’ git away from us.” 

“ It will be dark inside of an hour,” returned the 
other, skeptically, “ an’ it’ll be mighty little we can see 
on the bog, anyway. Ye’d better quit, Eke. We’ve 
got to clear out anyway. Things will git too hot fer 
us when the men at the camp git t’ huntin’ for them 
boys. Thet ’ere Injun would locate ’em inside o’ half 
a day, if they were anywhere in the township.” 

Eke gritted his teeth. 

“ That Injun ! ” he hissed. “ Don’t ye speak o’ ’im. 


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It makes me mad t’ think o’ ’im. I’ve made a mistake 
thet I hevn’t laid fer ’im and give ’im some cold lead.” 

‘‘ I reckon ye’ll hev enough t’ answer for, without 
shootin’ anyone,” said the younger man, uneasily. 

“Oh! do ye?” sneered the other. “ Wal, I’m not 
so high-toned as you air. Thet Injun didn’t hesitate 
to shoot et me. Put a bullet plumb through the top 
o’ my cap. t could feel it singe my hair. I tell ye, 
Lem, it was a mighty close call fer me.” 

“ I should call it mighty good shootin’,” said Lem. 
“ ’Taint likely he intended to hurt ye.” 

“ I don’t reckon he’d shed any tears if he’d hed t’ 
bury me — th’ murderin’ savage ! ” growled Eke. 

“ But what hev ye got agin the boys ? ” persisted 
Lem. “ Sure they never done ye any harm.” 

“ The young snobs I ” hissed Eke. “ Didn’t they 
follow along behind a-smirkin and a-grinnin’, while 
thet Injun made me tote that deer back up the ridge? 
I tell you I owe ’em one fer thet.” 

“ I don’t see what ye’ve got t’ gain by tryin’ t’ hold 
’em,” insisted Lem. “ We’ve got t’ git out to once, 
an’ if we took ’em along with us they’d only ham- 
per us.” 

“ Don’t ye worry none about thet,” returned Eke, 
in savage tones. “ Jest ye help me ketch ’em an’ I’ll 
take keer on ’em.” 

“ I reckon ye’ll hev enough t’ answer for, without 
ketchin ’em, if they ain’t already there,” said Lem. 

“ If they air, they’re ketched sure es fate,” said Eke. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


169 


Ben may be depended on to bead ’em off there. Come 
on/’ he added, “ we’re wastin’ time. Let’s work right 
round th’ shore o’ th’ island. They’ll be makin’ fer 
th’ bog, wherever they air.” 

The two men resumed their search, and presently 
their footsteps died away, as they worked further up 
the island. 

‘‘Are we going to quit, Fred?” asked Norman, 
when they were out of hearing. 

“ It won’t do for us to try to cross the bog before 
dark,” returned Warner. “ They’d be almost certain 
to see us.” 

“ I don’t believe that Eke would hesitate at mur- 
der,” declared Norman, with conviction. 

“ I haven’t any better opinion of him,” agreed War- 
ner, “ but I don’t think the others would go as far 
as he.” 

“ At any rate,” said Norman, “ I don’t want to fall 
into his hands again.” 

“ Without any gun,” added Warner. “ If I ever 
get my hands on my rifle again I’ll be tempted to take 
it to bed with me.” 

It was a long, irksome wait for the boys, in their 
cramped and not over-comfortable position; but finally 
darkness settled down over the big, level surface of 
the bog, and made it safe for them to steal forth from 
their hiding-place. Warner led the way, going in an 
opposite direction from the ridge-road by which they 
had come to the island. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


170 

For quite a distance they followed a deer-path, work- 
ing along on their hands and knees to avoid any chance 
of detection. They paused to listen at frequent inter- 
vals to make sure that they were not pursued, although 
the mossy surface of the bog made it very difficult to 
hear anyone who was moving upon it. 

When they were some distance from the island they 
rose to their feet, and went forward at a more rapid 
pace. Finally they reached the foot of the bog, and, 
climbing carefully over a tangle of old tree-tops, and 
dead-falls, found themselves in the old road that ran 
through the cedar swamp. It was indeed, as Warner 
had predicted it would be, “ as dark as a pocket.” The 
boys found it extremely difficult to make any progress 
over it. 

‘‘ We shall have to feel our way,” whispered Warner. 
“ Take hold of my coat and be careful of your footing.” 

They had gone but a short distance when Warner 
suddenly turned from the road, and, pushing into the 
swamp, made his way behind a large dead-fall. 

‘‘ Lie low ! ” he whispered. ‘‘ They are following 
us.” 

Scarcely had the boys concealed themselves, when 
two men came rapidly down the woods-road. One of 
them carried a lantern which he swung above his head, 
carefully inspecting the woods on either side of him. 

“ I tell ye. Eke, this is a good deal like huntin’ fer 
a needle in a haystack,” complained a voice which the 
boys recognized as Lem’s. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


171 

“ It isn’t very likely they could leave the bog by any 
other way,” growled Eke. “ It doesn’t stan’ t’ reason 
they’ll be fools enough t’ try an’ force their way through 
thet hackmatack swamp es dark es ’tis t’-night. Ben 
says he’s sartin sure they didn’t get away by th’ ridge- 
road. I tell ye th’ chances air thet they air on this road 
somewhere.” 

“ I tell ye I’m gittin’ mighty sick o’ this affair,” 
declared Lem, with emphasis. “Ye hed no call t’ 
meddle with them boys in th’ fust place, an’ it was a 
poor piece of business.” 

“ Brace up, an’ hev a little grit,” said Eke, harshly. 
“ I alius did hate a quitter. What I’ve done is my 
business, an’ I’m goin’ t’ see it through, too,” he added, 
with an oath. 

“ Wal, go on,” said Lem, in a tone of resignation. 
“ Th’ fust thing we know we’ll be runnin’ plumb inter 
a bunch o’ them guides.” 

“What if we do?” returned Eke, sharply. “I 
reckon they won’t bite us.” 

The two men went on up the road, and from their 
place of concealment the boys watched the flash of 
their lantern as it disappeared from sight among the 
trees. 

“ Whew ! That was a close call,” said Warner, 
when they were out of hearing. “We shall have to 
be on the alert,” he added. “ The first thing we know 
they may be coming back.” 

The boys cautiously renewed their walk up the tote- 


172 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


road, but found progress over its rough surface exceed- 
ingly slow and difficult in the darkness. 

I can’t see my hand in front of my face,” com- 
plained Norman. 

“ Sh ! Don’t talk,” cautioned Warner, in a low voice. 

Norman heeded the warning and for a time they 
moved along in silence. Presently Warner grasped 
his companion by the arm, and hurried him into the 
woods at the right of the road. As they did so Nor- 
man caught his foot on a projecting root, and meas- 
ured his length upon the ground. 

“ Don’t stop ! ” whispered Warner, as he helped him 
to his feet. They’re coming back.” 

They hurriedly made their way some distance into 
the swamp, and concealed themselves behind a clump 
of low-growing cedars. 

From their place of concealment they could distinctly 
hear the footsteps of some one coming down the tote- 
road. 

‘‘ They’ve put out their lantern,” whispered Warner. 
‘‘ They thought they’d catch us napping.” 

The footsteps came nearer, and presently a familiar 
voice came to the ears of the listening boys. 

“ I tell ye, Sol, ye ought t’ fetched along a lantern 
es I wanted ye to,” it said. 

‘‘No needum,” responded a guttural voice. 

Norman waited no longer. “ Jim ! Sol ! ” he shouted, 
joyfully. 

The newcomers stopped short. 


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173 


Land o’ Goshen ! ” exclaimed Benner. “ It’s them 
boys. Where air ye ? ” he shouted. 

‘‘ We’re in here,” returned Norman. 

“ Come out and show yourselves,” said Benner. 

Ye’ve gin th’ whole camp a conniption fit. Every 
one’s out huntin’ for ye.” 

The boys made their way into the woods-road, and 
greeted Benner and the Indian with exuberant warmth. 

‘‘ I tell you your voices sounded good to us,” said 
Norman, with enthusiasm. 

No better’n yours sounded to us, I reckon,” said 
the old woodsman, heartily. “ Come, now, give an 
account o’ yourselves. What ye been up to? Didn’t 
git treed by another moose, did ye ? ” 

The boys gave a brief account of their unpleasant 
experiences on the island, to the unbounded astonish- 
ment of Benner and the Indian. 

“ By the great Geehookibus ! ” exclaimed the veteran 
woodsman, vehemently. “ Thet ’ere gang hes got t’ 
be cleaned out, if we hev t’ make ’em stretch hemp. 
Let’s go back there an’ clean ’em out t’-night,” he added, 
impulsively. 

“ No ! ” said the Indian, decisively. Go back camp. 
Cleanum out in morning.” 

“ You’re right, Sol,” agreed Benner. You alius 
hed more sense’n I hed. I reckon some o’ th’ other 
boys would like a whack at ’em, too.” 

They turned about and followed the Indian along 
the woods-road. 


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“ You’ll have to go slow, Sol, if you expect me to 
keep up with you,” said Norman, after they had gone 
a short distance. I’m not used to navigating the 
woods at night.” 

‘‘ I wanted ’im t’ bring along a lantern,” grumbled 
Benner, but he wouldn’t hear t’ it. He’s wuss’n an 
army mule when he gits sot.” 

Plenty time. Go slow,” said the Indian. 

“ We’ll be out o’ this swamp purty soon,” said Ben- 
ner, encouragingly, “ an’ then we’ll git better footin’. 
Th’ main woods-road, whar Si Saunders hauled spruce 
last winter, is a purty good one.” 

“ Makum good time then,” said the Indian. 

‘‘ The shettin’ up o’ you boys wa’n’t all th’ mischief 
them raskils did to-day,” said Benner, as they walked 
along. 

“What else did they do?” asked Norman, with 
interest. 

“ They stole your father’s deer.” 

“Stole father’s deer!” echoed Norman, in amaze- 
ment. 

“ Yes,” said Benner, “ Pete went up with th’ buck- 
board this mornin’ t’ git that fine buck your Pa an’ 
Sol shot yesterday, but when he got thar it was gone — 
nary hide nor hair on ’im t’ be seen.” 

“What a shame!” exclaimed Norman, indignantly. 

“Th’ Gin’ral was terribly riled up about it,” con- 
tinued Benner. “ He’s offered a hundred-dollar reward 
for th’ capture o’ th’ thieves, an’ allows if we git ’em 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


175 


he’ll constitute it his pussonal business t’ make matters 
interestin’ for ’em in th’ courts.” 

“ And father was so proud of that buck ! ” said 
Norman, regretfully. “ I don’t imagine Sol feels any 
too well about it,” he added. 

“ We chaseum down,” said the Indian. “ We — ” 
His remark was cut short by a sudden flash of light 
from the woods above them and the boys distinctly 
heard the whistle of a rifle bullet as it passed above 
their heads. 

In a moment the Indian’s rifle was at his shoulder 
and one sharp report followed another as he emptied 
its magazine in the direction from which the shot had 
come. There was a sound of some one racing madly 
through the woods, and with a bound the Indian fol- 
lowed after them. He was gone a short time, and 
returned with a lantern which he handed to Benner. 

“ Didn’t stop t’ pick it up,” chuckled the old woods- 
man. “ Acted jest ’s ef they was in a hurry.” 

“ We’ll take it along with us in part payment for our 
rifles,” said Warner. 

Benner took a match from his pocket, and lit the 
lantern. He held it above his head and carefully 
inspected the members of the party. 

“ Nobody hit,” he commented, in a tone of relief. 
“ It’s purty hard t’ do close shootin’ in th’ night. Con- 
cluded ye wouldn’t foller ’em, did ye, Sol ? ” 

‘‘ No,” answered the Indian. “ Get boys back camp. 
Folio wum by-um-by.” 


1/6 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


I’ll bet ye’ll get ’em, too,” said Benner, with con- 
viction. 

Most of the guides and many of the sportsmen were 
out in the woods when the boys reached camp. They 
were given a most enthusiastic welcome, and made to 
tell their story over and over again as new parties 
returned from the search. Each new recital of their 
experiences on the bog was greeted with a fresh chorus 
of indignation. 

“ Gentlemen,” said General Carver, as the crowd in 
the big office was about to break up in the small hours 
of the morning, “ it’s evident that we have a crowd 
of ruffians to deal with in these woods, and I move 
that we make it our business to deal with them.” 

“ Second th’ motion,” said Jim Benner, with enthu- 
siasm. 

“ All those in favor will say aye,” said the General, 
and the chorus of answering ayes fairly shook the 
rafters of the big camp. 


CHAPTER XV 


NORMAN SHOOTS THE ALBINO BUCK 

The morning following the escape of the boys from 
Eke and his companions, a large party of guides and 

sports ’’ visited the island on the bog, and thoroughly 
inspected the log cabin where the boys had been con- 
fined. 

As was expected, they found it deserted, and the 
thieves had taken along with them about everything 
it contained of practical value, with the exception of 
the cook-stove. 

Some of the hotter-headed members of the party 
were in favor of burning the cabin, but cooler counsels 
prevailed. It was pointed out that it no longer afforded 
shelter for the thieves, and that, with the fine spring 
of water at hand, it would prove a convenient and 
comfortable stopping-place for parties from the big 
camp who might desire to stay over night on the 
island. 

Norman and Fred bemoaned the loss of their rifles, 
which the thieves had taken along with them in their 
flight. 

Mine wasn’t a very good one,” said Warner; “ but 
it cost me a lot of hard work to get it.” 

177 


178 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


And mine was a present from father,” added 
Norman. 

You needn’t worry about that, boys,” said General 
Carver. “ I imagine your rifles are lost to you ; but 
I have bought two good Winchesters, almost new, 
from Larry Hunt — one for each of you. They are 
all ready for you when you get back to camp.” 

I’m sure I don’t know how to thank you,” said 
Warner. 

“ It was very kind of you to think of it, father,” 
declared Norman, warmly. 

“ Don’t mention it, boys,” returned the Genera’. 
“ I didn’t intend that this uncomfortable experience 
should rob you of your good times. I was glad 
enough to get you back again without your rifles.” 

If we had kept our wits about us we should have 
had them still,” said Norman, regretfully. 

“ I don’t see wherein you are to blame,” said the 
General. ‘‘ You certainly had no reason to be sus- 
picious. The chances are that almost any of us would 
have acted precisely as you did.” 

“ Wal, boys, air ye ready t’ git back t’ roast goose? ” 
inquired Benner, as he came out of the cabin. 

‘‘Roast goose?” echoed Norman. 

“ I thought you had that yesterday,” said Warner. 

“ Oh, Felix cooked it all right,” chuckled Benner, 
“but when you boys failed to show up he put it on 
th’ ice. He ’lowed es how he prepared it specially 
fer your table.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


179 


Laughing and chatting, the party made its way 
along the swamp road, stopping for a careful inspec- 
tion of the place where Sol Soc had emptied his rifle 
at the thieves. 

Must have come mighty close t’ ’em,’' commented 
Benner, as he called attention to some bullet marks 
on the trees.” 

“ I reckon he stiffened up their back hair a bit.” 

“By Jove! It’s a beastly shame, don’t you know, 
that you didn’t kill one or two of them,” said Lord 
Matterson, heartily. 

“ Is thet th’ way ye sarve ’em in England ? ” asked 
Benner. 

Lord Matterson stiffened, perceptibly. The boys 
had noticed that he had studiously avoided Benner, 
since his humiliating experience with the cow moose. 

“ We don’t have such rascals in England,” he said, 
frigidly. 

A moment later the party met a tall, wiry-looking 
m.an making his way briskly up the swamp road. His 
race was bronzed and weather-beaten. 

“ Hello, Ross,” said Benner, cordially, as he shook 
the newcomer by the hand. “ Air ye on the war- 
path?” 

“ I reckon I’m after the same gang you are,” was 
the response. “ I stopped at the camp and Larry Hunt 
told me all the news. Are these the boys ? ” he con- 
tinued, with a glance at Norman and Fred. 

‘‘Th’ same fellers,” said Benner, promptly. 


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“Who is he?’’ asked Norman, as the newcomer 
dropped behind to shake hands with other members 
of the party with whom he was evidently acquainted. 

“ Ross Peters,” replied Benner. “ Th’ nerviest 
game warden in th’ whole section.” 

“Any relation to Gusty?” inquired Norman. 

“ His brother.” 

“ Then he must have been the man whose commis- 
sion Gusty had when he made his bogus arrest of us 
boys.” 

“ Th’ very same feller,” declared Benner, promptly. 
“ But he’s all right. Jest es straight es a ramrod.” 

“ Looks as if he might be a hard man to handle,” 
commented Norman, as he watched the free, easy 
swing of the newcomer. 

“ He’s all that,” agreed Benner, “quicker’n an eel 
an’ es tough es tripe. What’s more, th’ man never 
came into these woods thet he was afeared of. When 
he goes arter a poacher he hes a habit o’ fetchin’ ’im. 
Th’ only trouble is thet he hes a good deal more terri- 
tory t’ cover than any human man can do thoroughly.” 

“ By the way, Jim,” said Norman, “ speaking of 
Gusty Peters, what has become of him?” 

“ He was up on the Allegash waters above Cham- 
berlain Lake in charge of a yardin’ crew th’ last I 
beared o’ ’im,” responded Benner. 

He paused and indulged a grim chuckle. 

“ The boys all say es how he’s ben mighty subdued- 
like since Eustace took th’ kinks out o’ ’im,” he added. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE i8i 

The boys paused to listen to the conversation of the 
warden, who was walking with General Carver. 

“ The Fish and Game Commission is just as anxious 
to get those fellows as you are,” he said. Eke Bow- 
fus is the worst poacher in this whole section. I have 
positive evidence to convict him of the killing of two 
cow moose the present season. He's a Canadian, and 
a pot-hunter pure and simple. You won’t have t’ 
appear against him. The State will take care of him, 
if I can catch him.” 

‘‘ A Canadian ! ” exclaimed Benner, with a sly glance 
at Lord Matterson. “ An’ so thet scoundrel is an 
Englishman arter all.” 

Lord Matterson grew very red in the face. 

“ I deny it,” he said, sharply. ‘‘ A Canadian isn’t 
an Englishman, by a long shot.” 

‘‘ I alius s’posed they was under th’ British flag, an’ 
British subjects,” pursued Benner, with a wink at the 
boys. 

‘‘ That’s very true,” admitted Lord Matterson, 
grudgingly, “ but you must please remember that a 
great majority of the people under the British flag 
are not Englishmen.” 

‘‘We have ’most all races under our flag; but we 
call them all Americans,” said Benner. 

The Englishman walked stiffly along, without reply. 

Presently the party reached the camp with hearty 
appetites for the excellent dinner that Felix Lamarre 
had prepared for them. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


182 

Ba golly, I save me dis for yo’ all somV^ he said, 
as he placed the steaming goose, done to a turn, before 
Norman and Fred. De fellaire w’at shoot heem de 
goose ess de fellaire w’at mus’ eat heem.” 

It is needless to say that Norman and Fred did full 
justice to the repast. 

After dinner the boys spent some time examining the 
new rifles which General Carver had bought for them, 
and which they concurred in pronouncing “ beauties.” 

Later in the afternoon they returned again to the bog. 

I don’t believe Eke Bowfus and his gang are any- 
where around,” declared Warner, “ and if they are, 
we will have our rifles with us.” 

I certainly shall not lay mine down again right 
away,” said Norman, with a laugh. “ I want to hang 
around that bog, Fred, until I get at least one crack 
at that albino buck.” 

“ I think it would be a good plan for me to go up 
on the bog ahead of you,” said Warner. “ Then if 
I start any deer you can walk along the swamp road 
and be ready to take them as they cross it. If you 
should want me, Are two shots in quick succession, and 
I’ll come immediately.” 

“ That’s a good idea,” agreed Norman. I have 
serious doubts, however, of my ability to shoot a deer 
if he crosses the road on the run.” 

‘‘ Don’t fail to follow him up with a bullet or two 
if you do see one,” urged Warner. “ You may get one 
when you least expect it.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 183 

Warner walked swiftly ahead, and was soon out of 
sight. Norman made his way at a slower pace, and 
presently turned into the swamp road. It was shaded 
by the big evergreens that grew along its way, and the 
woods on either side presented a tangled chaos of 
stumps, windfalls, and the tops and limbs of trees, for 
the woods in that vicinity had been the scene of exten- 
sive lumber operations. 

The way was gloomy and uninviting, and Norman 
looked about him with a thrill of apprehension, at the 
tangled thickets of the swamp where Eke Bowfus and 
his companions might be in hiding. He gripped his 
rifle a little more tightly at the reflection, and made up 
his mind that they would not find hm an easy victim, 
if they should undertake to molest him. 

Wrapped in his reflections, he was walking slowly 
along when suddenly a magnificent white deer leaped 
into the road. Norman recognized it at a glance. It 
was the albino buck. The sight of Norman seemed to 
give the frightened creature wings, and, with a mighty 
leap, it cleared a collection of tops piled up beside the 
road, only to be confronted with an even higher pile 
when it struck the ground. The deer was pocketed, 
and to get out of its dilemma must turn and run for 
a short distance parallel with the road. This it did 
at once; but the delay enabled Norman to get a good 
shot at him. The buck disappeared in the woods, and 
Norman went into the brush, where it had been when 
he fired at it, to determine, if possible, the result of 


184 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


his shot. A pool of blood on the half-decayed chips 
and moss showed unmistakably that the deer had been 
badly wounded. For a short distance he followed the 
trail by the blood-stains along the way; and then lost 
it completely. 

Raising his rifle, he fired two quick shots and then 
sat down on an old dead-fall to wait impatiently for 
the coming of Fred. 

After what seemed to Norman an almost inter- 
minable length of time, Warner made his appearance, 
striding along the old logging-road with the easy, 
springing gait that was characteristic of him in the 
woods. 

“ What’s up ? ” he demanded. 

Fve shot the albino buck,” announced Norman. 

‘‘You have!” exclaimed Warner, in amazement. 
“ Why, I started him up on the bog only a little while 
ago.” 

“ And I got him when he was trying to cross this 
road,” said Norman. “ He was broad-side to me, and 
I got a good shot at him.” 

“Why didn’t you follow him up?” asked Warner. 

“ I couldn’t,” confessed Norman. “ I lost the trail.” 

“Where was he?” 

“ Right over here,” said Norman, leading the way 
to the little trail of blood which led from the spot where 
the buck had been shot. 

“ That’s easy,” said Warner. “ I reckon you got 
him all right. A blind man ought to follow that trail.” 



With a mighty leap, it cleared a collection of tops piled up 

BESIDE THE ROAD. — Page 183. 



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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


185 

“ I have no doubt he could do about as well at it 
as I can,” acknowledged Norman. 

Warner promptly took the trail and followed it up 
without a moment’s hesitation. “ He was getting 
wobbly along here,” he announced, as he paused a 
moment for Norman to catch up with him. “ We’ll 
come up with him pretty quick.” 

This prediction proved to be correct, for, a little 
further on, they came upon the buck lying dead upon 
the crest of a small knoll. 

‘‘I’ve got him! I’ve got him!” shouted Norman, 
exultantly. “ I’ve got the albino buck.” 

“ There’s no doubt about it,” said Warner, “ and a 
beautiful shot you made of it. Took him right behind 
the fore-shoulder.” 

“ It’s astonishing how he was able to go so far with 
that hole in him,” said Norman. 

“ They’ll go until they drop dead after they are 
shot,” said Warner. “ It has sometimes seemed to 
me as if they went a short distance after they were 
actually dead.” 

“ Like a chicken with its head cut off,” suggested 
Norman. 

“ Very much like it,” agreed Warner. “ Isn’t that 
buck a beauty, though! Do you realize, my boy, that 
you have captured a rare prize?” 

“ I’m certainly very fortunate,” confessed Norman. 
“ We must be very careful in dressing this fellow, Fred, 
for I’m going to have him mounted.” 


i86 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ I’ll look out for that/’ said Warner. In some 
ways I’m almost sorry you got this fellow.” 

Norman looked surprised. 

‘‘ Why ? ” he demanded. 

‘‘ Because now that you’ve shot a good moose and 
the albino buck there’ll be very little glory left for you 
in the hunting line. The first thing I know you’ll be 
wanting to go home.” 

“ Not yet, Fred,” returned Norman. “ We are 
going to have a trip first to the heart of the still beaver 
■waters and visit Dave Umber.” 

I should like to see the old fellow again,” admitted 
Warner. I fancy, though, that, with the money you 
gave him and the supplies he got from Eustace, h6 has 
been a good deal more prosperous than he was when 
you and I were there.” 

‘‘ His larder was a little scanty at that time,” admit- 
ted Norman. 

“ It wasn’t much I was able to do for him,” said 
Warner, “ but I sent him up a flock of hens, two pigs, 
and a good supply of potatoes by a toter early this fall. 
I heard afterwards that they reached him all right.” 

“ He certainly ought not to lack for venison at this 
season of the year,” said Norman. 

‘‘ I’ve no doubt he has all of it he wants,” said 
Warner, “ but you and I had better be getting back 
to camp if we want Pete Bedotte to come in with the 
buckboard and get this deer out before dark.” 

“Yes, we’d better be moving,” agreed Norman. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


187 


‘‘We shall have to get this deer out to the logging- 
road/’ said Warner. “ I’ll lighten him up a little 
first.” 

He took out his hunting knife and speedily dressed 
the deer. Then, taking a small axe from his belt, he 
cut a stout pole to which he tied the legs of the buck. 

“ Do you think you can carry one end of this? ” he 
asked. 

“ I certainly can, if you can carry the other end of 
it,” returned Norman, with a laugh. 

“ Well, show your muscle, then. Here goes.” 

The boys shouldered the pole, one at each end, and 
slowly made their way to the woods-road with the 
suspended buck. 

“ Good! ” said Norman, in a tone of relief, as they 
finally deposited their burden by the side of the woods- 
road. “ Td rather lug that fellow a rod than a mile.” 

“ He’s a pretty stiff load,” admitted Warner, wiping 
the perspiration from his face. 

“ But well worth the trouble,” added Norman. 

It is needless to say that the announcement of 
Norman and Fred, when they returned to camp, that 
they had shot the famous albino buck, created no little 
excitement. This beautiful deer had been often seen; 
but had been so successful in escaping the bullets of 
the sportsmen that he seemed to bear a charmed life, 
and many of the more superstitious of the guides had 
come almost to regard him as a phantom. 

It was still light when Pete Bedotte brought this 


i88 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


famous deer in on the buckboard and hung him up 
at the end of the big camp, where he was an object of 
wonder and admiration to all comers. 

Thet 'ere deer’ll make a heap o’ conversation along 
this tote-road,” asserted Jim Benner. 

By Jove ! He’s certainly a beauty. Let me con- 
gratulate you, my boy,” said Lord Matterson, heartily. 
“ Now that’s something worth while.” 

I’ve been very fortunate in having an exceedingly 
capable guide,” said Norman, modestly. 

That goes without saying,” responded the English- 
man. Still, I fancy quite a little good luck has gone 
along with the skill.” He paused and sighed, dole- 
fully. “ Some people,” he added, “ have luck enough 
to carry them to the throne.” 

‘‘ But ninety-nine times out of a hundred it’s nothin’ 
but good jedgment,” asserted Benner. “ A good deal 
o’ what passes fer luck is simply boss sense.” 


CHAPTER XVI 


A NIGHT IN A LEAN-TO 

I have arranged for Sol to go along with us,’’ 
remarked General Carver, the following morning, as 
he was assisting Norman and Fred to pack their knap- 
sacks. 

‘‘ We were planning on having you do that,” returned 
Norman, with a laugh. 

Then I’m glad that I have lived up to your expec- 
tations,” returned the General. Hamilton wants to 
go along with us,” added the General. “ He doesn’t 
share my eagerness to see your old hermit ; but he has 
heard that the trip will take us through a peculiarly 
picturesque and interesting country.” 

‘‘ It certainly will,” asserted Warner. “ There’s no 
finer scenery to be found in the Maine wilderness.” 

I suppose that means that Jim Benner will go 
along, too,” suggested Norman. 

‘‘ Undoubtedly,” responded the General. That was 
understood. There’s another man at the camp who 
has hinted quite strongly that he would like to accom- 
pany us,” he added. 

“Who is he?” asked Norman. 

“ Lord Matterson.” 


189 


190 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ Do you suppose he’d be willing to go in the same 
party with Benner?” asked Warner. “You know he 
doesn’t have a high regard for him.” 

“ I am quite at a loss to account for his strange and 
decided aversion to Benner,” said the General, mus- 
ingly. “ He obviously avoids him.” 

“ Jim can’t get near him without giving him a dig 
about something,” said Norman. “ He sees that his 
little raps annoy him, and that’s why he keeps them 
up.” 

General Carver smiled. 

“ Benner is a confirmed joker,” he said, “ and Lord 
Matterson, unfortunately, is not gifted with the saving 
grace of humor. Men of his stamp are not common 
in the Maine woods. I feel, though, that he is thor- 
oughly honest and loyal, and a good fellow in spite 
of his mannerisms.” 

“ Invite him, by all means,” said Norman, heartily. 
“ We shall be glad to have him.” 

“ I think Jim will enjoy him, too,” remarked War- 
ner, slyly. 

“ We must do our best to hold Benner in check,” 
said the General. “ Really, he gets a little riotous at 
times.” 

“ We’ll do our best to keep him in bounds,” promised 
Norman. 

“ Take the advice of an old soldier, and don’t over- 
load your knapsacks, boys,” warned the General. “ I’ve 
known recruits to do that, and then throw away about 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


191 


everything they carried on the first long march/' 

“ We’ve had experience,” returned Norman, lightly. 

‘‘Not a very long one,” reminded Warner. “You 
must remember that Sol Soc and Tom Boggs relieved 
us of our packs at the very first stop we made on our 
last trip to Chamberlain Lake.” 

“ Sol will go pretty well loaded on his own account 
this time,” said the General. “ We have one advan- 
tage, however. We sha’n’t be under any pressure for 
time. We can stop and rest whenever and wherever 
we wish.” 

It was about nine o’clock when the little party started 
out from camp under the guidance of Sol Soc, whom 
Norman laughingly declared to be many times better 
than a compass for finding the way through the woods. 

For three hours the Indian kept on his way, follow- 
ing an old woods-road that ran a little way back from 
and parallel with the Sebois River. 

At twelve o’clock he stopped at a little clearing beside 
the road, and threw down his heavy pack from his 
shoulders. 

“ Haveum dinner,” he announced, briefly. 

The members of the party unburdened themselves 
with alacrity. 

“ I’m as hungry as a bear,” announced Norman. 

“ I fancy we are all feeling that way,” said Lord 
Matterson. 

“ I reckon you boys remember this ’ere place,” 
remarked Benner. 


192 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


I guess I do,” responded Norman. “ We were 
camped right here on the drive the night we captured 
Dave Umber.” 

“ I shall never forget his breakfast with us,” added 
Warner. 

“ If I remember correctly, there’s a good spring of 
water a little way from here on the bank of the river,” 
said Norman. “ Suppose you and I go down there 
and fill up the pail.” 

“ All right,” responded Warner, cheerfully. 

Good,” grunted the Indian, approvingly. 

“ An’ now for a woodpile,” said Benner, briskly, 
as he unstrapped an axe from his pack. 

The boys made their way to the spring and filled the 
pail, which they carried, with clear, cold water. 

When they returned, they found a good fire burn- 
ing between two piles of stones, and Sol busy with his 
preparations for dinner. 

Soon the tea-pot was steaming merrily on the flat 
rock which served as a top for the improvised stove, 
and a number of thin slices of pork were sizzling in 
the frying-pan. Presently the Indian took a paper 
package from his pack and took from it a number of 
slices of venison which he proceeded to fry. 

In a short time the members of the party were seated 
about the fire with well-filled tin plates, and dippers of 
hot tea. It was a rough repast, but the party found 
it a most satisfying one — especially as Felix Lamarre 
had cooked them a generous supply of his excellent 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


193 


biscuits and doughnuts to carry along with them. 

When dinner was over, and the dishes washed, the 
knapsacks were repacked, and the party resumed its 
tramp, stopping every now and then to rest. 

About the middle of the afternoon, the Indian paused 
before a hardwood knoll, surrounded by a dense ever- 
green growth. 

‘‘ Buildum camp here,’’ he announced. 

What are we going to do?” asked Norman. 

We’re a-goin’ t’ put up a lean-to,” said Benner. 

I reckon them two crotched maples will do for 
uprights, Sol,” he added. 

“ Good,” said the Indian. 

I thought you drove crotched sticks into the 
ground,” said Norman. 

“ We do,” said Benner, when we can’t do any 
better. If you can get two trees that stan’ about right, 
they air t’ be preferred. Ther’s no danger on ’em 
blowin’ down if th’ wind gits a leetle boisterous.” 

A long, stiff pole was cut and placed between the 
two trees about six feet from the ground. Against 
this a number of other poles were placed slanting 
back to the ground. The frame-work thus made was 
speedily covered in with fir boughs carefully interlaced, 
making the camp comfortably tight, at the rear and 
sides. Bough beds were then made up on the ground 
under the covering. The blankets, which the members 
of the party carried, were unrolled and spread out upon 
them, giving the camp a very comfortable and cosy 


194 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


appearance. To cap their labors, a roaring fire was 
built before it, filling it with the glow and cheer of a 
genial warmth. 

The members of the party all assisted Sol and Benner 
in the preparation of the camp, and in gathering a 
generous supply of wood to keep the big fire going 
through the night. 

“ We’ll be as comfortable in here as seven pans o’ 
dough in a Dutch oven,” declared Benner, when their 
labors were completed. 

” This camp is certainly on the same principle as a 
Dutch oven,” returned Norman. 

By the time the camp was completed, the woods had 
grown dark, and the members of the party stretched 
themselves out upon their blankets to enjoy the warmth 
and cheer of the big fire. The two older guides and 
the Englishman lighted their pipes, and sat gazing into 
the glowing heat of the big fire in reminiscent silence. 

Presently Norman broke the stillness that was be- 
coming almost oppressive. 

“ You look as if you were faking up a nature story, 
Jim,” he said. 

The veteran woodsman removed his pipe from his 
mouth, and blew a meditative whiff of smoke into the 
air. 

“ Not guilty,” he said. “ It’s bad enough t’ hev t’ 
confess that I’ve read one or two o’ them ’ere books 
on natur study. Hed one on ’em down t’ Billings’s 
place th’ winter I driv stage out o’ Patten. I’ll allow 



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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


195 


thet thar was some curus an’ int’restin’ things in it; 
but it seemed t’ me ’s if they’d sort o’ pieced out what 
they’d r’ally seen with a mighty lot they’d simply 
guessed at. I tell ye, the actual glimpses we git o’ 
wild varmints in their nat’ral surroundin’s air et best 
few an’ far between. I hed a doe deer run across an 
old woods-road in front o’ me yesterday. Went so 
fast, by cracky ! thet ’bout all I see was th’ flash o’ her 
white flag es she flitted by, fer all th’ world like a 
shadder of a ghost. I swan ! many on ’em es I’ve seen 
in my day, it gin me a curus sort o’ feelin’, an’ I 
couldn’t help wonderin’, es I continered on, whether, 
arter all, it hedn’t ben a dream.” 

‘‘ Didn’t have a chance to pick up her life-history, 
did you?” queried Norman, with a smile. 

“ Not to any great extent,” said Benner, dryly. ‘‘ O’ 
course,” he added, “ a man who gits t’ wind’ard an’ 
hides hisself in a good place kin see a sight o’ things 
in th’ woods, if his eyesight is fairly good an’ he hes 
th’ gumption t’ put two and two together; but I never 
run acrost th’ man yet es could go inter th’ woods an’ 
see nigh es much es them writer chaps purtend to — 
not by a long chalk! An’ ye can’t ever make me 
believe thet sech critters, cornin’ from their beds with 
their hair mattresses, an’ sech, air any smarter et dig- 
gin’ out th’ secrets o’ th’ woods then we fellers who 
was born t’ bough feathers.” 

“ You must remember, Mr. Benner,” observed the 
General, “ that few writers on Nature depend entirely 


196 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


upon their own observations. They get the testimony 
of hundreds of keen-sighted and reliable men to rein- 
force their own. While it is true that the observations 
of one man might not be either complete or conclusive, 
in themselves, the observations of a hundred or a thou- 
sand made at different places might cover the whole 
field.” 

“ And you must admit,” added Norman, “ that even 
you natives might learn a little more if you gave your 
time, and made a business of it. The man who ranges 
the woods with a rifle or shot-gun, will pick up a cer- 
tain amount of woods-lore along with his game; but 
it doesn’t stand to reason that he will learn as much 
about the habits of the wild beasts and birds as the 
man who goes out with a good camera and a field- 
glass, and studies them from the most favorable points 
of observation.” 

Possibly — possibly,” admitted Benner, grudg- 
ingly ; “ still I wouldn’t want t’ swap my knowledge 
o’ th’ woods — little es it is — fer all them fellers put 
together know erbout ’em. I’ll bet my hat there ain’t 
ary one on ’em kin quarter ’cross a township ’thout 
a compass, an’ not git lost. Thar was thet famous 
critter Gil Dobson guided down on Mooseneck dead- 
water last year. He’d writ three or four books ’bout 
th’ woods an’ th’ varmints in ’em. Blamed if he didn’t 
git lost th’ very fust day in camp. Stayed out all night 
an’ when they found ’im next mornin’ he was tearin’ 
round an’ round thet big island in Skinner’s bog like 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


197 


all-possessed. He was fairly gone daft. Scurse knew 
enough t' ache. Gil ’lowed it was nigh onto a week 
arter thet afore he was rale sure of his own name. 
Him an authority ! Poppycock ! What he don’t know 
’bout th’ big woods would fill a bar’l o’ dictionaries ! ” 

‘‘ Ugh ! Him no good,” declared Sol, with convic- 
tion. 

When it comes to real woods lore,” said Warner, 
I’ll venture to say that our friend Sol could give the 
best of them pointers.” 

If they could get him to talk,” agreed Norman. 

‘‘ Some talkum. Some thinkum,” said the Indian, 
a remark which called forth a hearty burst of laughter 
from the members of the party. 

‘‘Stung!” said Norman, good-naturedly. 

“ It wasn’t very far from here that Sol shot a big 
black bear when we were on the drive,” observed 
Warner. 

“ Speaking of bears,” said Hamilton, “ do you sup- 
pose they eat many deer ? ” 

“No catchum,” responded the Indian. 

“ They may pick up a sick or wounded one now an’ 
then,” said Benner, “ but not often. Contrary to th’ 
gen’ral idee, a bear ain’t much of a meat-eatin’ critter. 
He feeds, for th’ most part, on berries, roots, acorns, 
an’ beechnuts. He loves to tear up old rotten stumps 
for the grubs an’ mice, an’ big ants he finds in ’em. 
His greatest happiness is t’ gorge himself with wild 
honey from a bee-tree. Once in a while he wanders 


198 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


inter th’ clearings fer a taste o’ pork or mutton. When 
he once gits thet habit he never gits over it.” 

“ Can they catch sheep? ” asked Norman. 

For all they look so clumsy, they’re pesky spry 
critters,” returned Benner. “ It’s simply amazin’ th’ 
way they kin git over th’ ground ! One thing is sartin 
sure. They kin ketch a sheep a pesky sight easier than 
they kin a deer.” 

That’s so,” corroborated Warner. ‘‘ There’s no 
animal in the Maine woods that can cover ground any 
faster than a deer, unless, possibly, it’s a moose.” 

“ It’s a curus thing,” said Benner, “ but, es much es 
I’ve ranged th’ woods, I don’t believe I’ve ketched sight 
o’ more than a dozen bars outside o’ those I’ve seen 
trapped. They air terrible keen-scented critters, an’ 
don’t wait fer ye t’ git very nigh ’em afore they clear 
out. It’s astoundin’, too, th’ things a bar’ll do t’ throw 
ye off th’ trail if ye try t’ track ’im. He’ll jump onto 
fallen logs an’ boulders, creep along ledges, an’ wade 
in brooks, an’ make it jest erbout nigh impossible fer 
ye t’ foller ’im.” 

‘‘ It would almost seem as if they reasoned,” said 
Norman. 

‘‘ I sartin think they do,” declared Benner, with con- 
viction. “ Last fall I was a-makin’ across from Chase 
Mountain t’ Sourdnahunk Lake an’ scared up a cow 
moose. I sort o’ s’picioned she had a calf nigh by. 
Es th’ wind was blowin’ towards me, I concluded t’ 
hide behind an’ ole windfall, where I could watch thet 


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neighborhood, an’ see if she wouldn’t come back. Sure 
enough, it wa’n’t a great while afore she showed up 
agin. She gin a soft little call an’ out came her calf 
from a thicket o’ firs — erbout th’ gorminest critter I 
ever seen. She led ’im out t’ my tracks an’ put her 
nose down t’ one on ’em, much es t’ say, ‘ smell o’ 

thet.’ Th’ minute he done so, she gin ’im a bunt thet 

nigh knocked ’im off his pins. Then she led ’im along 
to another o’ my tracks an’ once more fetched ’im a 

good solid thump. She es much es said to ’im, ‘ My 

son, thet ’ere scent means danger. Whenever ye smell 
it, ye must skedaddle ’t once.’ ” 

“ But some naturalists tell us animals have no rea- 
soning power,” objected Norman. 

“ I don’t gin a rap fer your nat’ralists,” sniffed 
Benner. “ What they don’t know ’bout natur would 
fill a mighty big book. I tell ye thet little moose was 
in school, an’ I’ll bet ye he lamed his lesson.” 

A little later conversation about the camp-fire lan- 
guished, and, snugly rolled in their blankets, one after 
another the members of the party fell asleep, and so 
soundly did they repose that they even failed to be 
awakened by Sol Soc, as he arose from time to time 
through the night to put fresh fuel upon the fire. 


CHAPTER XVII 


ROSS PETERS’s CLOSE CALL 

All of the members of the party were astir early the 
following morning, and after a warm breakfast, pre- 
pared by Sol Soc and Fred Warner, resumed their 
journey. They proceeded in a leisurely manner and 
were fortunate enough to secure a number of partridges 
which were fried for dinner, and proved a welcome 
addition to their bill of fare. 

It was four o’clock when they reached the foot of 
Bowlin Pitch. Here they made a new lean-to, utilizing 
for that purpose a frame-work which had been left by 
river drivers. This was quickly covered with fresh 
boughs, new bough beds were made under it, and with 
a roaring fire, the party made ready to settle down for 
the night. 

They were in the midst of the supper, which the 
guides had cooked for them, when they were started 
by a hollow groan, which came from the woods back 
of the camp. 

With a bound Sol Soc sprang to his feet, and hurried 
in the direction of the sound. The others followed 
after him, and presently met him returning with a 
man who staggered along weakly and leaned against 
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201 


the Indian for support. His face and clothing were 
streaked with blood, which still oozed from a jagged 
wound in his scalp. 

In spite of his disheveled appearance the members 
of the party recognized him as Ross Peters, the State 
game warden. With Sol on one side, and Benner on 
the other, they assisted him to the lean-to and placed 
him on a bough bed. Then, with some warm water, 
General Carver carefully washed away the blood from 
his scalp, and, bringing the edges of his wound together, 
secured them in place with a roll of antiseptic bandage, 
which he had brought along for emergencies. 

The members of the party, shocked and horrified by 
Peters's appearance, watched this operation with sym- 
pathetic faces. 

There," said the General, when he had finished, 
“ Pm not much of a surgeon ; but I think this will help 
you out." 

I feel like a new man already, thank you," said the 
game warden, wearily. “ I reckon that gang thought 
they had me down and out, but Til live to round 'em 
up yet." 

Perhaps you'd better not talk," cautioned the Gen- 
eral. ‘‘ You seem pretty weak yet." 

‘‘ Oh, I'm all right now," returned the warden, pluck- 
ily. ‘‘ I'm still worth a regiment o’ dead men." 

Hamilton regarded the wounded man intently. 

You’ve evidently had some rough usage," he said, 
in a tone of curiosity. 


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‘‘ Yes,” returned Peters, “ I ran into Eke Bowfus 
and his gang right after dinner, an’ I reckon they 
thought they’d finished me.” 

‘‘ And they left you out here in the cold in your 
condition ! The heathens ! ” exclaimed Lord Matter- 
son, in horrified tones. 

“ Eke wanted to do more than that,” said Peters, 
feebly. He wanted to throw me into the East 
Branch.” 

The members of the party were astonished at this 
announcement. 

“ Th’ boys’ll git t’gether an’ lynch that critter when 
they hear o’ this,” said Benner. 

“ You ought to have shot a little lower that time 
you fired at him. Sol,” said Warner. 

Me finishum next time,” said the Indian, grimly. 

“ I begin to think that the escape of you boys from 
his clutches was little short of providential,” declared 
the General. “ It’s evident that he’s a desperate char- 
acter, who will not hesitate at deeds of violence.” 

I’ve had trouble with him before,” said Peters. 
“ He had it in for me. I’ve also been on his trail for 
some time past, an’ he knew it. I caught him red- 
handed just this side of the Canada line last fall, but 
he gave me the slip. I’ve been looking for him ever 
since.” 

“ Perhaps you’d better tell us about that in the morn- 
ing,” suggested the General. 

" I came up with him right after dinner to-day,” 


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continued Peters. ‘‘ There were two fellows with him. 
I told him he was under arrest an’ he said ‘ All right ’ — 
the jig was up. Then I told him to hand over his rifle 
which he carried slung over his shoulder with a strap. 
He said ‘ All right/ and took it off. Just as he did so 
one of the fellows with him asked me a question. I 
turned my head for an instant and the next thing I 
knew he swung on me with his gun and gave me this 
clip. I wasn’t looking for it, he seemed so ready to 
quit. He took me completely by surprise and must 
have stunned me. It seemed to me for a time as if 
I were in a dream. I could hear voices; but they 
seemed a long way off. Then I heard Bowfus suggest 
that they throw me into the East Branch ; but the other 
two wouldn’t stand for it. So they finally tied me up 
an’ left me there in the woods. I reckon I must have 
lost consciousness, for the first thing I knew was when 
I heard your voices. I tried to shout to you; but it 
seemed as if I hadn’t any voice.” 

“ Fortunately you made us hear,” said the General. 
“ I shudder to think what the result might have been 
if you had lain out there in the cold all night.” 

I reckon it would have been the last of me,” said 
Peters. 

From a partridge, which the party had secured late 
in the afternoon, Warner prepared a dipper of broth 
for the wounded man, which he took with evident 
relish, declaring that he felt much better for it. 

It , was a late hour when the members of the party 


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finally fell asleep, and all were up at the first break of 
day to watch Sol Soc and Fred Warner prepare break- 
fast. Benner, who, despite his long experience in the 
woods, had developed little skill in the culinary art, 
was entirely content, in the division of labor, to cut the 
wood and lug the water. 

A night’s rest had done the game warden much good. 
He was feeling considerably stronger. 

“ Where were you planning to go ? ” asked the Gen- 
eral. “ It surely will not be easy for you to travel far 
for some time to come.” 

“ I have a brother in charge of a yarding crew up 
on the Allegash waters above Chamberlain Lake,” 
returned Peters. “ If I can make my way to him I 
reckon he’ll look after me a spell, till I get my strength 
back.” 

“ Then you might as well go along with us,” said 
the General. ‘‘ We’re on our way to that section now, 
and shall be glad of your company.” 

‘‘You’re very kind,” said the warden, gratefully, 
“ but it wouldn’t do.” 

“ Why not ? ” insisted the General. 

“ Because,” declared the warden, “ I’d be a burden 
t’ you and slow you all up. I’d be like a grindstone 
on th’ neck of a race-horse. You let me go my own 
gait, and I’ll get there in time.” 

“ Certainly we shall do nothing of the kind,” said 
the General, indignantly. “ Eke Bowfus might be 
willing to leave you alone in these woods at this cold 


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205 


season, but we hope that we are a trifle more civilized 
than that.” 

Peters looked relieved. 

“ ril go along with you if you feel that way about 
it,” he said; “but I warn you I’ll slow you up con- 
siderably.” 

“No slowum canoe,” said the Indian. 

Norman laughed. 

Sol is right, Mr. Peters,” he said. “ A good part 
of our trip will be in canoes, and you certainly can’t 
slow us up there.” 

“ We are under no pressure for time,” explained the 
General, “ and have been taking this trip in a leisurely 
manner.” 

“ I’ll try an’ be as little of a burden to you as pos- 
sible,” said the game warden, warmly. “ As soon as 
I get my strength back. I’m going to make it my special 
business to hunt down Eke Bowfus and his gang. It’ll 
not be my fault if they ever catch me napping again, I 
promise you.” 

“ We’ll be glad to join forces with you in that quest,” 
said the General, heartily. “ We are all as anxious as 
you are to see Eke Bowfus rounded up.” 

“ We’ll land him yet,” said Peters, confidently. 

“ I believe you said something about getting him last 
fall,” said Hamilton, in a tone of inquiry. 

“ Yes,” answered Peters. “ That was up to his 
home. He has a little partially cleared farm, you 
know, up near the Canada line.” 


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“ On this side of the line ? ” asked Lord Matterson, 
eagerly. 

Yes/’ said Peters. 

“ I fancied as much/’ said the Englishman, with a 
triumphant glance at Benner. 

The veteran woodsman slowly removed his pipe and 
turned to the game warden. 

‘‘Born in Canada, wasn’t he?” he asked. 

“ Why, yes, he was — in the Province of New 
Brunswick,” returned Peters, evidently puzzled by 
these questions. 

“ Man-grown when he came to this country, wasn’t 
he ? ” continued Benner. 

“ He certainly was that,” admitted the warden. 

“ Habits of life all formed — under the English 
flag? ” said Benner, in a deprecating tone. “ No won- 
der he is sich a reckless, worthless critter.” 

Lord Matterson’s face grew red with anger, and a 
gleam of comprehension shone in the face of the game 
warden. 

“ I’ve never found the rascals confined to either side 
of the line,” he said, in a conciliatory tone. He paused 
and indulged a reminiscent chuckle. 

“ They say Bowfus got his money to pay for his 
farm working the State of Maine on bear bounties,” 
he said. 

“ How was that?” asked the General, with interest. 

“ You see, there was a bounty on bears in Maine at 
that time, but none in Canada,” explained the warden. 


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207 


“ It was necessary to turn in the ears and nose of a 
bear in order to get the bounty. Bowfus used to buy 
this ‘ proof ’ of Canadian trappers for a dollar and 
turn it in to the State of Maine for five dollars. You 
see there was a good margin of profit in it for him. 
His transactions grew so bold and extensive at last, that 
our Fish and Game Commissioners started an investi- 
gation, and discovered the fraud. Bowfus remained 
on the Canadian side of the line with relatives and we 
failed to get him. His old mother lived on the farm. 
It was in her name, and there was nothing to connect 
the old lady with his transactions.” 

It was unfortunate that you couldn't have rounded 
him up,” said Hamilton. 

“ The next thing I heard from him was that he was 
back on his farm and killing cow moose. He had also 
set a moose snare of his own invention in the woods, 
although, so far as I could learn, he never caught any- 
thing in it. 

“ I went up there to get him, but somehow he got 
wind of my coming and cleared out. I hung round 
several days but he didn’t show up. Finally I went 
into his barn one morning just before daylight, and 
hid under a pile of loose hay on the floor in front of 
the tie-up. He came in a little later and went up onto 
the mow to pitch down some more hay for his morning 
feeding. When he came down I was waiting for him 
at the foot o’ the ladder.” 

Surprised him some, I reckon,” commented Benner. 


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‘‘ It certainly did/’ said Peters, “ but he didn’t offer 
any fight. In fact, he took it good-naturedly, and 
begged so hard to be allowed to go into the house and 
change his clothes that I finally consented, and went 
in with him. 

‘‘ He went up stairs for that purpose, and I stayed 
below with his mother. He stayed so long that I grew 
suspicious and stepped to the door just in season to 
see him disappearing in the woods. He’d jumped out 
of the little chamber window and made tracks. I never 
saw him again until I ran onto him yesterday after- 
noon.” 

“ He’s evidently taken good pains to avoid you,” 
said Hamilton. 

“ I might have shot him when he got away before,” 
said Peters, ‘‘ but I didn’t like to do it. I shall never 
be so tender with him again.” 

‘‘ You certainly will have no reason to be,” said the 
General. 

When I get him again I shall put the irons on him 
the first thing,” said the warden. 

“You appear to be quite confident that you will get 
him,” said General Carver. 

“ I’m positive of it,” replied Peters, confidently. 

Advancing slowly, the party resumed its tramp; the 
game warden being assisted by General Carver and 
Hamilton, who walked beside him on either side, and 
supported him. Though still weak, he made far better 
progress than the party had thought possible. 


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209 


They stopped to rest at frequent intervals, admiring 
in turn the beauties of Hulling Machine Falls, Grand 
Pitch, and Pond Pitch. Later on they paused for a 
look at the roaring waters of Haskell's Rock Pitch. 
General Carver, Hamilton, and the Englishman were 
loud in their praises of the wild and picturesque scen- 
ery along the river, and expressed themselves as well 
pleased with the trip. 

“ By Jove ! don't you know," exclaimed Lord Mat- 
terson, with enthusiasm, “ it's been many a long day 
since I have seen anything finer than this.” 

It was late in the afternoon when they finally arrived 
at Grand Lake, not far from the dam, and prepared to 
camp for the night. 

“ How are you feeling ? ” inquired General Carver 
of Peters. 

“ First rate," was the plucky reply. “ A little tired ; 
but hungry as a bear." 

A little later they sat around the camp-fire and Peters 
proceeded to prove the truth of his assertion. 

I reckon he's a-comin',” said Benner. At any 
rate, he's got a good healthy appetite." 

There's one thing I envy you in," said the game 
warden, as he sat beside Norman after supper. 

^‘What's that?" 

Your good education.” 

“ But I haven't one,” protested Norman. I haven't 
been to school now for almost a year, but I'm going 
back,” he added, resolutely. “ Pm going to college.” 


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“ It’s an education to be with a man like your father,” 
said the warden. “ What little learning I got, I picked 
up at the “district school. I’ve read a good deal, how- 
ever. When I watch myself I can avoid any bad 
breaks ; but when I get excited or forget myself, I talk 
the lingo of the woods. It’s mighty hard for any of 
us to get wholly away from the associations of our 
childhood,” he added. 

Their conversation was suddenly broken off by a 
remark which arrested their attention. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


NORMAN AND FRED REVISIT OLD SCENES 

Fred Warner was speaking. ‘‘ One thing is cer- 
tain,” he said; ‘‘ No one can accuse us of being game 
hogs. Here we’ve been in the woods two days, and 
haven’t even seen a deer.” 

“ I don’t reckon we’ll be likely to es long es we hunt 
’em with a brass band,” said Benner, dryly. 

“ Game hog ! Him makum me sick ! ” said the 
Indian, in a tone of disgust. 

Do you mean to tell me, Mr. Benner, that you have 
such fellows up here ? ” asked the General. 

“ Th’ woods air full of ’em,” responded Benner, 
promptly. ‘‘ Th’ guides all hate ’em wuss’n pisen. 
Still their money’s es good es other people’s.” 

‘‘ What is a game hog ? ” asked Lord Matterson. 

“ He’s a fellow who shoots all the law allows and 
then kills a few more for good measure,” explained 
Warner. ‘‘ He doesn’t seem to think that any one 
may want to hunt after he’s gone.” 

“ He even kills little spotted fawns,” added Benner. 

Lord Matterson grew very red in the face. 

That’s a slap at me, I fancy,” he said, “ but you 
must know that that was an accident.” 

'' We’ll let it go at that,” said Benner, magnani- 


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mously. ’Most any on us is liable to mistakes.” 

“ Let’s not get personal here,” suggested the General. 

Personalities should always be avoided among 
friends,” said Hamilton. 

‘‘ Speakin’ o’ game hogs,” said Benner, reflectively, 
reminds me o’ one I met over at Norcross once. He 
an’ a friend came together. Th’ fust one’s name was 
Gates, an’ I j edged from what I heard dropped, thet 
he was quite a high-brow t’ hum. I think, however, 
thet he was a leetle th’ most selfish critter I ever saw 
in th’ woods. His friend’s name was Shafter, a nice, 
quiet little fellow — a perfect gentleman — that no one 
could hev helped likin’. Th’ fust three days out. 
Gates got his full quota o’ game. Ole Jock Davis was 
a-guidin’ of ’im, an’ a better hunter never ranged th’ 
Maine woods. Any one would hev supposed that with 
two fine bucks Gates would hev been satisfied, but no. 
He was jest as eager as ever. A day or two later he 
got a fine moose; but thet did not satisfy him. He 
miade it so evident thet he didn’t give a rap whether 
Shafter got any game or not thet it made me ’n ole 
Jock mighty tired. He acted jest ’s if he was glad 
thet the other feller was left. Seemed t’ sort o’ gloat 
over ’im, an’ wus alius rubbin’ it inter him what luck 
he’d hed. All th’ time Shafter wus a perfect gentle- 
man — congratulated Gates heartily on his good luck, 
an’ never hed a word o’ complaint. 

“ One day both Gates and Shafter were purty nigh 
all in an’ stayed in camp while ole Jock an’ I went out 


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without ’em. We hedn’t gone very far afore ole Jock 
jumped a fine buck an’ shot ’im. When we got up to 
’im Jock turns to me an’ ses, ‘ Jim, put a bullet through 
that feller’s heart.’ 

“‘What for?’ ses 1. 

“ ‘ Never mind,’ ses he. ‘ You do es I tell ye.’ With 
thet I up an’ fired a bullet through th’ heart o’ th’ buck, 
although he wus already es dead es a herrin’. 

“ When we got back to camp Jock told Gates we’d 
got a deer. He said we both shot it, but my bullet 
went through its heart. We went out an’ brought th’ 
buck in that same arternoon an’ what do ye suppose 
thet mean critter. Gates, did ? ” 

“ I haven’t the slightest idea,” confessed the General. 

“ He tried t’ argue thet inesmuch es either one o’ th’ 
shots would hev killed th’ buck, it wus es much his es 
it wus Shafter’s.” 

“ Any one would have supposed that he would have 
been glad to have given it to Shafter,” said Hamilton. 

“ Ketch him givin’ away anything ! ” sniffed Benner. 
“ Th’ mean critter would a good deal ruther thet deer 
should rot in th’ woods. Ole Jock stood tough, though. 
He said my bullet hed gone through th’ buck’s heart, 
an’ es I wus guidin’ fer Shafter th’ buck consequently 
belonged t’ ’im. Even then thet mean critter wusn’t 
satisfied. He said thet inesmuch es thar wus some 
question o’ doubt erbout it th’ fair thing to do would 
be t’ cut up thet ’ere buck an’ eat ’im.” 

“ That was certainly small,” said Hamilton. 


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“ Small ! ” echoed Benner. “ It was erbout th’ leetlest 
punkins I ever seen. I tell ye, it made me mad. I gut 
right up on my hind legs an’ talked pretty plain to 
Mister Gates. Told ’im a few o’ th’ things Shafter 
ought t’ hev told ’im. I allowed thet he could cut up his 
moose or either one of his bucks, if he wanted to; but 
thet deer wus th’ only one Shafter hed gut, an’ by th’ 
Jim Hill, he wus a-goin’ t’ take it hum with ’im. I 
could see thet ole Jock wus enjoyin’ th’ situation, might- 
ily. He tipped me a wink es much es t’ say, ‘ Hoe in, 
old boy, hoe in.’ ” 

I fancy you carried the day,” said the Englishman. 

“ Wal,” said Benner, when Shafter went hum I 
noticed thet he carried away thet buck. Ole Jock an’ 
I kept our mouths shet, an’ he never knew how nigh 
he come t’ gittin’ skunked.” 

“ Fortunately,” said Hamilton, ‘‘ men like Gates are 
not numerous in the Maine woods. Time and again 
I’ve known sportsmen to divide their game with their 
less fortunate friends.” 

“ Thet’s th’ way with most on ’em,” agreed Benner. 
“ I reckon thet’s what makes a mean one look so pesky 
small.” 

A man’s true nature is pretty apt to show itself 
when he gets into close touch with nature,” said the 
General. 

Peters gave a reminiscent laugh. 

“ I used to think that most of the mean men were 
poachers,” he said, “ but I see there are others. About 


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215 


two years ago reports came to us that parties were 
shooting deer in close time near Sherman. I went up 
there to investigate, an’ to help me out, the Commis- 
sioners offered a reward of twenty-five dollars for evi- 
dence that would lead to the conviction of the guilty 
parties. When I got to Sherman, a man came to me 
and said that the poacher was a farmer — a neighbor 
of his. He said that if I would go into the cellar of 
his house and take up some loose boards in the floor 
I would find a buried box with half a deer in it. I 
have no doubt that the man he complained of had 
actually killed the deer, and that he had given half 
of it to his neighbor who informed on him. Of course 
I went to his house and searched his cellar. I readily 
found the box buried under the loose boards of his 
cellar floor. The man admitted very frankly that he 
had it there to keep deer meat in ; but insisted that he 
only made use of it during the open season. He then 
named the man who had informed on him, and said 
that if I would go to his place and look in the hay- 
mow in his barn I would find half a deer there. Of 
course I went and searched, and found the half-deer 
just as he had said I would. I arrested the man who 
had started out as an informer and he was given a 
good stiff fine. I was also obliged to give the man 
who had first been accused the twenty-five dollars 
reward. I had my doubts about his being worthy of 
it; but inasmuch as it was his evidence that secured 
the conviction there was nothing else to be done.” 


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The members of the party laughed heartily at this 
story. 

‘‘ That was a case/’ observed Hamilton, where the 
would-be biter was bitten.” 

A man who would be guilty of a mean trick like 
thet ain’t fit for bar bait,” declared Benner. 

‘‘ He certainly wasn’t possessed of much gratitude,” 
said the General. 

“ Now,” observed Hamilton, the next morning, the 
question is where are we going to get canoes ? ” 

“ In log hovel by dam,” responded Sol Soc. 

But they are not ours,” objected the General. 

‘‘ You needn’t have any hesitancy about taking them,” 
interposed Peters. I have a standing permission from 
the East Branch Driving Company to use any of the 
canoes they leave stored along these waters whenever 
I may need them.” 

“ It is fortunate we have you along with us,” said 
the General, 

‘‘ I ought to be able to help you a little, to pay for 
all the trouble I’ve made you,” responded Peters. 

The two big canoes in the log store-house above the 
dam were soon launched, and the party started on their 
trip up Grand Lake, Sol and Norman handling the 
paddles and leading the way in one of them, with Jim 
Benner and Fred Warner furnishing the motive power 
for the other. The four-mile stretch across Grand 
Lake was soon covered. Then followed an equal dis- 
tance up a stream which wound its way along marshy 


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217 


meadows. Beyond this they entered Second Lake. 
From here they came into the East Branch, up which 
they made their way for about a mile and a half. 

“ Big lug now,'’ grunted Sol, as he turned the nose 
of the canoe and ran it up on the shore. 

“ This is Indian Carry,” explained Norman. ‘‘ We've 
got to tote these canoes about three-quarters of a mile.'' 

“ Well, there’s no rush. We can take plenty of 
time for it,” said the General. 

The canoes were turned upside down. One was 
loaded on the shoulders of Sol Soc, and the other upon 
the shoulders of Benner and Warner, and the slow 
journey was begun. General Carver, Hamilton, and 
the Englishman insisted on taking their turns, although 
both the Indian and Benner resolutely refused to be 
relieved. 

“ This 'ere's a summer picnic fer a man es hes helped 
lug batteaux,” declared Benner. 

“ It must be a harrowing task,” declared Hamilton, 
as he wiped the perspiration from his forehead. 

“ It’s one of those things that have to be tried to 
be appreciated,” said Norman, with a laugh. 

“ And if I remember correctly, the men hazed you 
a little when you had your first experience,” said 
Warner. 

I always suspected as much,” agreed Norman. 

It was two hours later when they finally reached 
Webster Lake, a second trip having to be made to 
secure their dunnage. Half an hour's paddling brought 


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them to the lower end of the canal which connected 
Webster and Telos Lakes. Here they were forced to 
make another carry of about a mile. The afternoon 
was well spent when they arrived at Telos, and they 
decided to camp there for the night, utilizing for the 
purpose an old log sporting-camp, which they found 
on the shore of the lake. 

They were up early the following morning, although 
breakfast was delayed, at Norman’s suggestion, to 
enable Sol to catch a mess of trout, with the result 
that, when it came, the members of the party sat down 
to a repast of these delicious fish, which they unani- 
mously voted to be fit for a king. 

“We sha’n’t have Jerry Cox and his tug-boat to 
help us out this time,” said Warner, when they were 
again pushing off in their canoes. 

“ It’ll give you and me a better chance to develop 
our biceps,” said Norman. 

“ I thought it was mostly a question of back,” said 
Warner, with a laugh. 

For five miles they paddled up Telos Lake, and 
then entered the three-mile thoroughfare which con- 
nects it with Chamberlain Lake. They made their 
way leisurely, stopping now and then to admire some 
specially attractive bit of scenery, and it was the middle 
of the afternoon when they finally reached Chamber- 
lain dam and took up their quarters in the big lean-to, 
which had been occupied the previous spring by Eus- 
tace and his men. 


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Telos Lake 



THE YOUNG GUIDE 


219 


‘‘ Hurrah ! ” said Norman. “ The dam is still here.’’ 

Right where Eustace left it,” said Fred. “ I don’t 
reckon any one else will ever meddle with it.” 

“ You may bet Gusty Peters never will,” chuckled 
Benner. “ He makes no bones o’ sayin’ thet he made 
a big mistake in thet matter.” 

The game warden looked sober. 

“ That’s right,” he said. ‘‘ George was in bad busi- 
ness when he meddled with this dam. I’ve told him 
so, and he’s admitted it. He was led astray by a false 
idea of loyalty to his employers. He’ll do no more 
dirty work for them.” 

Warner looked at him, curiously. 

‘‘ Did he tell you all about it ? ” he asked. 

“ No,” replied the warden. Only that he had 
charge of blowing out the dam. I had no desire to 
learn the details. The whole wretched affair made me 
feel sick.” 

An’ I reckon he felt thet way, too, afore he got 
through with it,” said Benner. 

“ I certainly hope he did,” said the warden, heartily. 

‘‘ He doesn’t know a thing about our experience 
with Gusty,” said Fred Warner, a little later, when 
he and Norman were out of hearing of the other 
members of the party. 

‘‘ I suspected as much,” said Norman. ‘‘ If he had, 
he’d have been almost sure to have spoken about it. 
He seems to be a fine fellow.” 

“ One of the best,” returned Warner. ‘‘ Everybody 


220 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


in these parts respects him, and I don’t believe he 
knows the sensation of physical fear.’^ 

I wouldn’t want to be in the shoes of Eke Bowfus 
when he comes up with him again,” declared Norman. 

“ He’ll be up against the real thing all right the next 
time Peters sees him,” said Warner. 

The members of the party were falling asleep that 
night in the camp which Sol Soc and Benner had reno- 
vated for their use ; when from the depths of the forest, 
came a cry so weird, and wild, and long-drawn-out, 
that it brought every one of them wide awake, and led 
to an instinctive reaching for their rifles. 

‘‘ I should think it was Eke Bowfus out there having 
a laugh all by himself,” said Hamilton. 

“ It certainly sounds demoniacal,” said the General. 
Thet’s an’ Injun devil,” asserted Benner. 

Him he-one,” added Sol Soc. 

General Carver looked puzzled. 

‘‘ They mean that we’ve just heard a male cougar or 
catamount,” explained Hamilton. “ The Indians used 
to have an almost superstitious dread of them. They 
credited them with following their prey through the 
woods from tree to tree, and dropping down upon their 
unsuspecting victims from the branches overhead.” 

“ That’s jest what they do, sure es ye’re alive,” 
declared Benner, with dogged conviction. 

‘‘ Did you ever know anybody to have one drop on 
him ? ” asked Hamilton. 

Benner was plainly disconcerted. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


221 


‘‘ Why — er — why,” he said, “ I can’t jest remem- 
ber et this minute ; but bless ye, thar’s no doubt erbout 
it. IVe hearn tell o’ thet ever since I was a boy.” 

‘‘ Whether true or not,” said Hamilton, skillfully 
waiving the question, ‘‘there’s no doubt but that the 
idea gave the cougar the name of ‘ Indian Devil ’ by 
which he is almost universally known in the Maine 
woods.” 

“ They havien’t much courage,” said Warner. 

“ Dog scareum,” asserted Sol. 

“ That’s right,” agreed Hamilton, “ the cougar 
dreads a dog, and will take to a tree at the sight or 
smell of the veriest cur.” 

“ Do you fancy that fellow will show up here 
to-night ? ” asked the Englishman. 

“ No,” responded Sol, promptly. “ Fire scareum.” 

“ That’s one more thing for us to do, Fred,” whis- 
pered Norman, as the members of the party were set- 
tling down to sleep again. 

“What’s that?” question Warner, drowsily. 

“ We must shoot that Indian Devil.” 


CHAPTER XIX 


■ THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DAVE UMBER 

‘‘ And now for the heart of the ‘ Still Beaver 
Waters/ ” declared Norman, the next morning. 

“ Do you know the way ? ” asked Hamilton. 

‘‘ No,” confessed Norman, ‘‘ but Fred and Sol do.” 

“ Dead water empty in lake,” explained Sol. “ Car- 
ryum canoe ’bove beaver dam, paddlum rest of way.” 

Hurrah!” exclaimed Norman. “I was satisfied 
that you’d know the easiest way to get there.” 

In a short time the members of the party were afloat 
again, and making their way up Chamberlain Lake 
above the dam at the outlet. 

Presently Sol put his canoe ashore at the mouth of 
a small brook. 

“ Aw, really, don’t you know,” protested the English- 
man, as he glanced about him in unfeigned astonish- 
ment, ‘‘you surely don’t expect to find water enough 
in this little stream to float a canoe, do you ? ” 

“ Plenty water ’bove beaver dam,” declared the 
Indian. 

“ There surely ought to be,” said Hamilton, in a 
skeptical tone, “ for there’s mighty little of it gets 
down here.” 


222 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


223 


‘‘ Now comes th’ tug o' war," said Benner, ‘‘ though 
this 'ere carry won't be half es hard es it would be if 
it wasn’t fer this ole woods-road along the valley o' 
th’ brook, where some one has hauled timber t' th’ 
lake. I tell ye, it’s mighty hard work t' tote canoes 
through th’ thick woods." 

“ How far is it to the beaver dam? " asked Warner. 

“ It's all of a good mile." 

The work of carrying the canoes was promptly 
begun, and, two hours later, they were at the beaver 
dam, together with the supplies which the party carried. 
Here, as Sol had predicted, they found plenty of water 
to float their light craft. 

The dam itself, semi-circular in shape, was a won- 
derful piece of work, and called forth the unstinted 
admiration of all the members of the party. 

Lord Matterson, in particular, was deeply impressed 
by it. 

Do you mean to tell me," he demanded, “ that 
this piece of work was done by little animals ? " 

“ It sartinly was,” asserted Benner. ‘‘Ye kin see 
where they cut their timber," he added, pointing to 
some stumps along the shore. 

“ This is really wonderful, don’t you know," declared 
the Englishman, with enthusiasm. “ Why, that piece 
of work would be a credit to the royal engineers.” 

“ Beavers never doum poor work," declared Sol. 

“ They certainly do not, if this is a fair sample of 
their efforts," coincided the Englishman. 


224 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


And now for the launching/’ said Norman. 

Sol Soc was about to act upon this suggestion, and 
push one of the canoes into the dead water, when the 
attention of all was arrested by the sound of something 
forcing a way through the tangled labyrinth of swamp 
that stretched back from the shore. 

“ Perhaps it’s a moose,” suggested Norman* 

Sol Soc turned his head in the direction of the 
sound, and listened intently. “No moose. Man,” he 
announced, briefly. 

His statement was quickly verified. The bushes 
parted a few moments later, and a most woe-begone 
looking figure put in an appearance. 

He was a man somewhat below the medium size, 
whose dark eyes had a restless and haunted look. His 
face was pinched with hunger, and his clothing hung 
in rags. His hair was long, and a thick growth of 
stubby beard covered his face. 

He stopped short as he saw the members of the 
party, and looked from one to the other, as if debating 
with himself whether to run or stand his ground. 
Finally, with an apparent effort, he found his voice. 

“ Is — is this the United States ? ” he asked, huskily. 

“ Sure,” responded Benner, promptly. “ This ’ere 
is Uncle Sam’s front garden.” 

“ Please — please don’t deceive me,” pleaded the 
newcomer. “ Hi’ve come a long ways. Hi ’ave rea- 
sons for being particular. I ’ope you’ll tell me fairly.” 

“There’s no question about it, my man,” said the 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


225 


General, reassuringly. You are in the State of 
Maine, which is a part of the United States.” 

Lord Matterson was eyeing the newcomer with curi- 
ous interest. Presently he turned upon him abruptly, 
and in a sharp voice, shouted: 

“ Attention ! ” 

The stranger’s heels came together promptly, and 
his hand was raised to his forehead in a military salute. 

“ I thought so,” said Lord Matterson, triumphantly. 

How are you. Tommy Atkins?” 

Good Lawd ! ” gasped the newcomer. “ ’E knows 
me! ” 

“ I fancied I detected the symptoms,” said Lord 
Matterson. “ Tve seen a little service myself. So 
you are a deserter from the British Army, are you ? ” 

‘‘Yes,” admitted the newcomer. 

“ What’s your name ? ” 

“ Bill Jeffries.” 

“How did you get here, Mr. Jeffries?” asked the 
General. 

“ Hi ’id myself on a vessel,” was the response. “ Hi 
thought Hi was cornin’ to the United States, but blawst 
my bloomin’ h’eyes if it didn’t land me in St. John.” 

“ Still under the English flag,” commented Ham- 
ilton. 

“Yes,” said Jeffries. “Hi tell ye Hi was scared 
when Hi found it out. Hi got into th’ country and 
then Hi fancied th’ bloomin’ police was after me, so 
Hi took to th’ woods.” 


226 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Where did you get anything to eat ? ” inquired 
Norman. 

‘‘ Of the loggers,” returned Jeffries. “ They were 
mighty good to me. Gi’ me something to eat an’ a 
lunch to take along wi’ me, but they was all on the 
wrong side o’ th’ line.” 

“ Well, ye air on th’ right side on it now,” said 
Benner, heartily. 

“ Jeffries,” said Lord Matterson, sternly, “ I’m 
ashamed of you. A man who would desert the 
English flag, forfeits the respect of all decent men.” 

“ Hi don’t object to them as likes th’ bloomin’ busi- 
ness stayin’ in it,” said Jeffries, “but Hi’ve ’ad enough 
of it. Hi want to be my own man.” 

“ An’ so ye kin in this free country,” said Benner, 
cordially. “ Bill,” he added, hitting Jeffries a hearty 
slap on the back, “ yer all right. Yer all wool an’ a 
yard wide. I admire yer spunk.” 

“Thank ye,” said Jeffries, gratefully. 

“ I want ye t’ know thet yer under th’ old Stars 
an’ Stripes now,” continued Benner, “ an’ ye kin snap 
yer fingers et any man. Th’ whole English army 
couldn’t git ye up here in the Maine woods.” 

“ I don’t fancy his immigration was just regular,” 
said Lord Matterson. 

“ I reckon it’ll pass muster,”said Benner, confidently. 
“When th’ officers run away t’ enjoy our good huntin’, 
I don’t reckon they’ll be too hard on th’ privates.” 

“I — aw — want you to understand that I left the 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


227 


army in an honorable manner/’ sputtered Lord Matter- 
son. “ I resigned my commission.” 

‘‘ So ye did/’ said Benner, ‘‘ an’ Bill’s resigned his. 
I reckon it’ll hev t’ be accepted.” 

“ What will we do with this man ? ” asked Ham- 
ilton. 

“ I think he’d better go along with us,” said the 
General. “ He looks as if he wouldn’t be any the 
worse for two or three square meals.” 

‘‘ Are you going out of the United States ? ” asked 
Jeffries, anxiously. 

“ No, indeed,” said the General. 

‘‘Hi don’t want to be any trouble,” said Jeffries, 
gratefully. “ Hi’ll work my way, Hi’ll do any bloomin’ 
thing ye want me to.” 

“ I have no doubt you’ll find opportunities enough 
to make yourself useful,” said the General. 

The canoes were pushed into the dead water and 
soon the party was making its way up the sluggish 
current towards the home of Dave Umber, in “ the 
heart of the bog, by the still beaver waters.” 

“ I don’t know that I could find the way,” admitted 
Norman. “ If I remember correctly, there were some 
decidedly unexpected turns.” 

“ Me know,” said the Indian. 

“ I beg your pardon, Sol,” said Norman. “ I’d for- 
gotten for the moment that you were there. We can 
trust you to find any place you’ve ever seen,” he added, 
confidently. 


228 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Half an hour’s brisk paddling brought them to a 
log which spanned the dead water, and served as a 
bridge. Beyond it was a narrow trail which wound 
its way into a heavy black growth. 

Norman at once recognized it as the path which 
Gusty Peters and Black Jake Jasper had followed when 
they took him and Fred Warner as prisoners to their 
camp. 

The canoes were run upon the shore, and the mem- 
bers of the party landed while Sol and Benner pushed 
the canoes under the overhanging log. 

“ I think ril leave you here,” said the game warden. 

My brother is in charge of a yarding crew a few 
m.iles beyond here, and I am planning to stay a while 
with him.” 

Do you think it will be quite safe for you to go 
alone ? ” asked the General. 

“ Yes, indeed,” answered Peters, confidently. 

Thanks to your care. I’m now as good as new. 
I shall never forget your kindness to me,” he added, 
earnestly, “ and I hope some time that it may be pos- 
sible for me to be of some service to you.” 

“ We were very glad to be able to assist you,” 
returned the General, cordially. 

The warden shook hands with all the members of 
the party, and making his way up the embankment 
was soon lost to sight in the black growth. 

After his departure the trip on the dead water was 
resumed. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


229 


An exclamation of wonder and surprise came from 
Lord Matterson as Sol swung the canoe around a great 
wooded promontory and paddled along a narrow 
stream, grown to the water’s edge, on either side, with 
tall alders. 

Looks like the jumping-off place,” observed Ham- 
ilton. 

“ There’s quite a world beyond us yet,” said Warner. 

Presently the canoes emerged from the dark waters 
of the stream into the larger expanse beyond. 

“ Norman has already named this place,” said 
Warner. 

‘‘ What did he call it ? ” asked Hamilton. 

The Devil’s Punch Bowl.” 

And a very good name it is, too,” said Hamilton. 

“ I should fancy that Satan’s Ink-Pot would have 
been better,” said the Englishman, as he glanced at the 
black mud, plainly visible beneath the shallow water. 

‘‘ I shouldn’t like to take a swim here,” said Hamil- 
ton, with a grimace. 

By this time the two canoes were abreast of each 
other, and making their way side by side. 

Warner was about to reply when there was a crash- 
ing in the underbrush and a magnificent buck leaped 
wildly down the steep embankment of the Punch Bowl. 
From the shore came the yelp of a dog and a moment 
later a large hound followed the scent of the deer to 
the water’s edge, paused, irresolutely, and broke into 
a long bay. 


230 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ Game hogs ! ” grunted Benner, disdainfully. “ Dog- 
gin’ deer’s agin th’ law in this State.” He dropped his 
paddle, and, picking up his rifle, fired at the hound, 
which gave one sharp yelp and rolled dead into the 
water. At almost the same moment Sol fired at the 
buck, which was making frantic efforts to swim in the 
black mud. 

“ It’s too bad,” said Norman, regretfully. “ He 
made a brave fight, and deserved to live.” 

“ Him stuck in mud. No saveum,” said the Indian. 

He pulled his canoe alongside the body of the deer, 
and, with considerable effort, succeeded in loading it 
into the canoe. 

‘‘ Et any rate, we’ve got fresh meat enough t’ last 
us fer quite a spell,” said Benner. 

“ You’d better look out, Jim,” warned Norman. 
“ The first thing you know the owner of that hound will 
be putting in an appearance with a pair of tin ears for 
you.” 

‘‘ Let ’im come,” said Benner, grimly. I’ve got a 
cartridge or two left in th’ magazine o’ my rifle yet. 
He’ll hev t’ show up pretty soon or all trace o’ th’ 
dog’ll be lost in the mud.” 

‘‘ Do you always shoot dogs when you catch them 
chasing deer?” asked Norman. 

Alius,” said Benner, promptly, “ an’ th’ State 
soaks th’ owner, too, if it ketches ’im.” 

“ I don’t think myself that such fellows deserve 
much consideration,” said Hamilton. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


231 


“ None et all,’’ said Benner, positively; ‘‘ ef we didn’t 
put th’ kerbosh on them fellers, it wouldn’t be long 
afore th’ game would all be gone, an’ then th’ hull on 
us would be out o’ business. The guides up here ain’t 
alius over-fussy erbout obsarvin’ th’ game laws — 
especially if they happen t’ hev a hankerin’ for deer 
meat in close time; but there ain’t one on ’em but 
would shoot a dog he ketched chasin’ deer. Thet’s 
why men who own good dogs air so chary erbout 
fetchin’ of ’em inter th’ woods.” 

“ They never expect to see them again, do they ? ” 
asked Hamilton. 

“ No,” replied Benner, “ an’ ginerally their expec- 
tations air not disappinted. Deer never began to be 
plenty in the Maine woods until it was made mighty 
onhealthy to go a-doggin’ of ’em.” 

“ Hi fancy Hi saw that blawsted hound back at one 
of the bloomin’ camps where I stopped,” said Jeffries. 

Do ye remember th’ name o’ th’ feller thet owned 
him?” 

“ No. The man at the camp said as ’ow it wasn’t 
his. He was only keepin’ ’im for a feller named Eke.” 

“ Eke Bowfus ? ” asked Benner. 

Hi’m werry sure that was his name,” said Jeffries. 

‘‘ Th’ raskil ! ” said Benner, wrathfully. ‘‘ He got 
chased out o’ one kentry whar he was a-stealin’ deer, 
an’ come up here an’ went t’ doggin’ ’em.” 

“ His race will be short,” said Warner, confidently. 

When Ross Peters gets on his feet again, which will 


232 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


be pretty soon, he’ll wind him up in double-quick time.” 

‘‘ I reckon ye’er right there,” said Benner. 

“Ah, here we are,” said Warner, as they rounded 
the wooded end of Umber’s island, and ran their canoes 
upon the little stretch of sandy beach that served the 
hermit as a landing place. 

“ It doesn’t look much different from what it did 
when we were here,” declared Norman, as he took a 
careful survey of the little clearing. 

“ Only a little more prosperous,” said Warner. 
“ You’ll notice that he’s built a pig-pen and a hen- 
house and yard on the back end of his workshop.” 

“ And it sounds as if they were occupied,” said 
Norman, as a vigorous squealing of pigs, and a cack- 
ling of hens, came from these places. “ Perhaps he’s 
forgotten to feed them.” 

“ I think not,” said Warner. “ He’s very method- 
ical, and you know how fond he was of his pets — 
Bozy and Blackstone.” 

“ I expected to hear Bozy bark a welcome long ago,” 
said Norman. 

“ It looks as if there were no one at home,” said 
Warner. “ Perhaps Dave has gone fishing or Hunting 
and taken Bozy with him. His canoe is gone.” 

The members of the party walked up the well-beaten 
path, and entered the little cabin. 

All of them were loud in their praises of the her- 
mit’s handiwork. Suddenly Sol Soc, whose restless 
eyes were taking in every detail of the little room, 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


233 


paused and knelt before a red stain on several of the 
narrow spruce strips of which the floor was made. 

Blood/^ he announced, briefly. 

“ Thet’s sartin sure/’ said Benner, as he examined 
the stain. 

Perhaps he’s handled some game here,” suggested 
Hamilton. 

I think not,” said Warner. “ He was careful 
about his housekeeping, and if he had got any blood 
upon the floor he would certainly have washed it up.” 

“ Let us look about a little,” advised the General. 
Acting upon this suggestion, a thorough search was 
made of the shop and the clearing. Two fat pigs 
squealed vociferously from their log pen and the hens 
cackled loudly. 

‘‘ I don’t believe either these pigs or hens have been 
fed to-day,” declared Hamilton. 

‘‘No one has looked after the hens; that’s certain,” 
said Norman a moment later, as he emerged from the 
little log house at the rear of the yard with a hatful 
of eggs. 

With grave faces the members of the party returned 
to the little cabin. “ I don’t like the appearance of 
things,” said the General, in a troubled voice. 

“ Looks an awful lot like foul play,” agreed Benner. 

“ Have we looked everywhere ? ” asked the General. 

“No,” said Norman. 

“ What place is left ? ” asked the General. 

“ The potato hole,” declared Norman. 


CHAPTER XX 


AT THE HOME OF THE HERMIT 

‘‘ The ‘ potato hole ’ ? repeated General Carver, 
in evident surprise. ‘‘ Where’s that ? ” 

“ In the side of the hill back of the clearing,” 
explained Norman. “ It’s Umber’s vegetable cellar.” 

“ Let us go there at once,” said the General, eagerly. 

Norman promptly led the way to the tomb-like apart- 
ment which Umber had built in the side of the hill for 
the storage of his vegetables. 

The heavy plank door was closed and a log, with 
one end stuck in the ground, and the other caught 
under the upper cleat, served as a brace to fasten it. 

As they approached this entrance, the faint and 
mournful bark of a dog sounded from within. 

‘‘ I reckon we’ve found Bozy, at any rate,” remarked 
Warner. 

“ He wouldn’t be far away from Dave, if he could 
help it,” said Norman. 

The door to the potato hole was opened, and into 
the stream of light that poured from the outer world 
upon its dark and cavernous depths raced a barking 
fox terrier. 

“Here, Bozy! Good old Bozy,” called Norman. 

234 


/ 



Davk Umukk’s Potato Hole. 




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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


235 


At the sound of his voice, the little dog raced for- 
ward and leaped upon him in a very delirium of joy, 
pausing only to pay a similar mark of affection to 
Warner. 

‘‘ He certainly recognized us,’’ said Norman, much 
gratified. 

A stifled moan came from the back end of the potato 
hole. The party moved forward and found the hermit 
lying face down at the foot of a good-sized pile of 
potatoes and other vegetables. He was breathing 
heavily. The back of his head was matted with blood, 
which oozed slowly from an ugly-looking wound in 
the scalp. 

Poor fellow ! He’s unconscious,” said the General, 
as he knelt beside the hermit, and carefully examined 
his injuries. 

** Struck down from behind,” muttered Benner. 
“ Th’ same cowardly kind of a clip that Peters got.” 

“We must get him to the cabin at once,” said the 
General. 

“Let me ’elp,” begged Jeffries, eagerly. 

“ All right,” said the General, “ I’ll appoint you my 
substitute.” 

With Sol and Jeffries on one side, and Benner and 
Hamilton on the other, the hermit was tenderly borne 
to the little cabin, and laid upon one of the bunks. 

“ That was a dastardly piece of business,” said the 
General, with deep feeling, as he sat beside the rude 
bed, and washed the blood from the hermit’s wound 


^ 3 ^ 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


with a clean handkerchief and a basin of warm water. 

He was deliberately put there to die in his helpless 
condition.’’ 

'' Along with a starvin’ dog,” added Benner. 

“ That reminds me, Sol,” said the General, pausing 
in his work, “ I wish you would boil some of those 
potatoes and make a mash for the pigs and hens. 
There’s no telling how long this man may have lain 
where we found him, and it’s very evident that they 
haven’t been fed for some time.” 

‘‘ Me fixum,” said the Indian, as he hurried away. 

Soon two large kettles full of steaming vegetables 
were boiling on the cook-stove. 

It looks as if we shouldn’t get away from here as 
soon as we planned to,” said the General. This man 
will be in no condition to be left alone for some time 
yet. We will have to remain here and take care of 
him until we can make some other arrangements for 
his comfort. Mr. Warner, I shall have to appoint you 
camp cook.” 

I’ll do my best, if you people are willing to put up 
with my efforts,” said Warner. 

“No one could have had a training under Mr. 
Lamarre without picking up at least the rudiments 
of the art,” returned the General, confidently. 

“ I’ve been investigating the situation a little,” said 
Warner, “ and I find that Dave has quite a different- 
looking larder from the one Norman and I found when 
we first came here. There’s pretty nearly a full barrel 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


237 


of pork in the potato hole, besides an abundant supply 
of potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots, and cabbages. He 
has quite a good stock of flour and Indian meal. 
There’s also a fair supply of sugar, lard, molasses, 
beans, baking powder, and spices.” 

How about tea and coffee ? ” asked Benner. 

“ Plenty of both,” said Warner, and also a few 
cans of condensed milk.” 

An’ we’ll hev plenty of fresh meat while thet ’ere 
buck lasts,” added Benner, well pleased. 

“ By the time that is gone Sol will have us another 
one,” said Norman. 

‘‘We must take measures to replenish these sup- 
plies,” said the General. “ This poor old man will 
need all he has, and more.” 

“ I don’t know just where we are going to get them,” 
said Norman, doubtfully. 

“ I do,” responded Benner. 

“Where?” demanded Norman. 

“ Buy ’em o’ Gusty Peters.” 

Both Norman and Warner indulged a skeptical laugh. 

“ Laff, if ye want to,” protested Benner, in a nettled 
tone, “ but I reckon I know what I’m talkin’ erbout.” 

“ But Fred and I have had some seances with Gusty 
in times past,” insisted Norman. 

“We dumped him into the mud of the Punch Bowl 
once,” said Warner. “ He was about the maddest man 
I ever saw.” 

“ Don’t make no difference,” insisted Benner. “ It 


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doesn’t take much t’ git Gusty’s dander up; but he’s 
like a flash in th’ pan, mighty soon over it. With all 
his faults, he’s a generous-hearted critter an’ not one 
to hold grudges very long. I know, for he an’ me hev 
had our scraps. If ye got th’ best on ’im, he’ll think 
all the more on ye.” 

“ So you are confident he’d give us the glad hand, 
are you?” questioned Warner. 

Thar’s no doubt on it,” said Benner. ‘‘ He’ll be 
mighty grateful for what we did for Ross, an’ only 
too glad to do us a good turn. He alius thought thet 
Ross was erbout es good es they made ’em. Mebbe 
it was because he was so different.” 

‘‘ I hadn’t thought of that,” admitted Warner. 
“ Perhaps that may carry weight with him.” 

'' Thar’s no doubt on it,” asserted Benner. 

‘‘Hello!” exclaimed Norman, glancing out of the 
window, “ Where’s Sol going with that canoe ? ” 

“ He’s going out after a mess of trout,” explained 
the General. “ He suggested that he thought he knew 
where he could get some, and I told him to go after 
them.” 

“ He’ll come back with them all right,” said Nor- 
man, confidently. 

“ I never knew him to fail yet,” added Warner. 
“ And now for some cooking,” he continued, as he 
rolled up his sleeves, and produced a long canvas apron 
from his pack. 

“What first?” asked Norman. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


239 


“ A big mess of doughnuts. I’m also going to put 
some beans to soak for to-morrow.” 

“ Can I help you? ” 

Yes. You can take a fork and turn the dough- 
nuts, and also take them out of the fat when they’re 
done. We are going to have two kinds.” 

“What are those?” asked Norman. 

“ Sugar and molasses,” explained Warner. 

“ Fred, you’re a wizard! ” exclaimed Norman, with 
enthusiasm. 

“ Well, hardly,” returned Warner, with a laugh. 
“ A wizard originates his stunts, while I have hard 
enough work to remember those I’ve been taught.” 

Soon the little cabin was filled with the savory odors 
of frying doughnuts. 

“How’s your patient?” inquired Warner of the 
General, when he and Norman had finished cleaning 
up from their cooking. 

“ He’s still sleeping soundly,” said the General, “ but 
he’s muttering to himself, and I fear there is an under- 
current of delirium.” 

“ Well, Mr. Cook, what are we going to have for 
supper ? ” inquired Lord Matterson, briskly, as he and 
Hamilton re-entered the cabin after a stroll about the 
island. 

“ I was planning on trout and baked potatoes, and 
hot biscuits,” returned Warner. 

“ That sounds almost like a banquet,” said Hamil- 
ton, with a laugh. 


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“ But where are your trout ? demanded the English- 
man. 

“ Sol has gone after them.’’ 

And you count on his getting them ? ” queried Lord 
Matterson, with astonishment. “ Fish are capricious 
things in my country. Some days they’ll bite, and 
some days, don’t you know, they’ll not.” 

“ They always bite for Sol,” declared Norman. “ He 
knows their language.” 

“ Why — aw — really, I didn’t know they had one,” 
said the Englishman, in surprise. 

They don’t — for every one,” said Warner, and 
Lord Matterson stretched himself in one of Umber’s 
home-made chairs with a look of mystification on his 
face. 

Put it right behind the stove,” said Warner to 
Jeffries, who came into the cabin at this moment with 
a big armful of wood. That’s all we shall need.” 

‘‘ But Meester Benner ’as a lot more all cut,” said 
Jeffries. 

“ I’m glad to know it,” said Warner, ‘‘ but he’ll have 
to leave it where it is for the present. We shall need 
about all our available floor space for sleeping pur- 
poses to-night.” 

You might go down to the spring. Bill, and get 
us a pail of cold water,” suggested Norman. 

“ Very well,” returned Jeffries, with alacrity, and, 
taking the pail, he left the cabin. 

“ There’s one thing about that fellow,” said Norman, 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


241 


with approval, when he was gone. “ He’s anxious to 
make himself useful.” 

He certainly cannot be ornamental,” said Lord 
Matterson, dryly. 

‘‘ Hurrah ! The conquering hero comes ! ” exclaimed 
Norman, with enthusiasm, as Sol Soc entered the cabin, 
bearing a long string of trout, and four wild ducks. 

“ Those are really beautiful fish, don’t you know,” 
said Lord Matterson, with admiration, as he examined 
the catch. I fancy that not one of them will weigh 
less than half a pound.” 

‘‘ Thar’s more on ’em thet’ll do better,” declared 
Benner, who had entered the cabin and joined the 
group about the little log sink. 

Blawst my h’eyes, but that’s summat great,” said 
Jeffries, as he appeared with a brimming pail of water. 

“ Jim,” said Warner, “ you are always hunting for 
'work. How would it do for you and Bill to clean 
these trout ? ” 

Me help,” said the Indian. 

‘‘ All right, come on. Th’ more th’ merrier,” said 
Benner, as he picked up the string of fish and left the 
cabin, followed by the others. 

Norman,” said Warner, ‘‘ if you are really hunt- 
ing for trouble. I’ll have you cut some thin slices of 
pork, while I wash these potatoes and put them in the 
oven. I’m going to cook an extra large supply of 
biscuits so that we can have them to use cold if we 
need them for lunch. They make a good sandwich 


242 


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by splitting them in two, and putting a slice of cold 
roast venison between the halves.” 

** But where will you get your cold roast venison? ” 
asked Norman. 

“ I’ve got a fine big roast all ready to cook,” said 
Warner. “ I’m going to put it in the oven just as 
soon as the biscuits come out.” 

A little later the members of the party sat down to 
an excellent supper. The biscuits were light, the trout, 
rolled in Indian meal and fried in pork fat, were done 
to a turn, and the potatoes thoroughly cooked and 
mealy. 

“ Young man, you’re an artist,” said Hamilton, as 
Warner filled his tin dipper with steaming tea. 

Thank you ! ” said Warner, lightly. “ ’Most any 
kind of food will pass muster where one has a woods 
appetite to enjoy it with.” 

“You wouldn’t get anything better than this in all 
London,” asserted Lord Matterson. 

They were in the midst of the meal when all were 
startled by a cry from the lower bunk. The old hermit 
had risen to a sitting posture. A wild light burned in 
his eyes, and he pointed an accusing finger at the party 
around the table. “ Accursed ! accursed ! ” he shrieked, 
in a high, thin voice, “ O ye forsaken of the Lord ! ” 

“ Poor fellow ! He’s delirious,” said the General. 

“ Wild es a woodpecker,” added Benner. 

The hermit had evidently exhausted himself with his 
effort, for he fell back, and was soon fast asleep again. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


243 


I think we’ll have to stand guard here to-night/’ 
said the General. “ It’s evident that there is a lawless 
element in this vicinity, and we mustn’t afford them 
any further opportunities for mischief.” 

Hi’m an old ’and h’at that,” said Jeffries. “ If 
Hi’d ’a’ ’ad a shillin’ for every bloomin’ hour Hi’ve 
worn out me shoes doin’ guard duty. I’d be almost as 
rich to-day as Baron Rothschild.” 

“ We’ll let you patrol the clearing the first part of 
the night,” said the General. 

‘‘ Hi’ll ’ave to ’ave you show me the ’ang o’ these 
rifles,” said Jeffries, turning to Warner. “ The bloom- 
ing things are all new to me.” 

That’s easy enough,” said Warner. 

He picked up one of the rifles from the corner of the 
camp, and, pumping the cartridges out of its magazine, 
carefully explained its workings to Jeffries. 

That’s h’easy,” said the Englishman delightedly. 

A baby ’ad ought to h’understand that.” 

“We don’t want t’ take any more chances. Bill,” 
said Benner. “ If ye ketch any one a-prowlin’ round 
this ’ere clearin’ to-night ye’d better shoot ’im fust on 
gin’ral principles, an’ gin ’im a chance to explain arter- 
wards.” 

“ Aw — but Hi say ! ” exclaimed Jeffries, in some 
perplexity, “ ’Ow is a dead man going to h’explain ? ” 

“ Well,” returned Benner, solemnly, “ if we found 
he was real deal — door-nail dead — mebbe we’d 
excuse him.” 


244 


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I’m afraid you’re a poor adviser for Jeffries, Jim,” 
said Norman, reproachfully. “ These Englishmen are 
apt to take you pretty seriously.” 

‘‘ I can’t bother t’ label my jokes for ’em,” said 
Benner. They’s have to git aboard or git left.” 

A little later, boughs were piled upon the floor of 
the little cabin, blankets were spread over them, and 
the members of the party lay down for a night’s rest. 
By common consent the upper bunk was accorded to 
General Carver. 

Out in the autumn night, beneath the stars. Bill 
Jeffries, with a Winchester rifle upon his shoulder, 
paced slowly back and forth between the cabin and 
the workshop. 

The members of the party were just falling asleep 
after the fatigues and excitements of the day, when 
they were suddenly awakened by a loud challenge, 
“ ’ Alt ! ’ O comes there ? ” 

There was a moment’s silence and then again came 
the challenge of the sentinel, sharper and more impera- 
tive than before. 

“ ’Alt ! or Hi’ll drill a hole in ye.” 

There was the crack of a rifle from down on the 
shore, which brought forth a regular fusilade from 
Jeffries. 

The members of the party jumped open-eyed from 
their beds. Lanterns were hastily lighted and, with 
rifles in hand, all hastened out of the cabin to inves- 
tigate. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


245 


Air ye hurt, Bill ? ” called Benner, as they came 
into the night. 

‘‘Not a scratch,” returned Jeffries, cheerfully. 

“ Who were they ? ” asked Hamilton. 

“ Hi’m sure Hi couldn't tell, sir,” responded Jeffries. 
“ Hi couldn't make out their faces, an' it's not likely 
as 'ow Hi'd 'ave known 'em if I 'ad.” 

“ How many were there ? ” asked the General. 

“ There were three. They came in a big canoe. 
They landed an' were cornin' up towards the cabin when 
Hi 'alted 'em. Then they began a-sneakin' back to 
their canoe, an' Hi 'alted 'em again. Then one of 
them fired at me.” 

“ Perhaps he was only trying to scare you ? ” sug- 
gested the General. 

“ If 'e was, 'e certainly done so,” said Jeffries. “ Hi 
'eard that bullet sing mighty spiteful just over my 
'ead. Hi've been in the army, though, long enough 
to know that in a fight the scare isn't h'all on one side. 
So Hi thought Hi'd pass 'em back a few. I emptied 
my rifle at them. Great 'eavens ! 'ow they ran ! ” 

“ Skedaddled t' once, did they ? ” asked Benner. 

“ Hi think they landed in that canoe with one jump 
apiece,” said Jeffries. “ H’it didn't seem a minute.” 

“ Well, we might as well go in,” said the General. 
“ I don't think we'll have more trouble to-night.” 

“ I reckon thet wus Eke's gang,” said Benner. 

“ And I haven't much doubt that the canoe they had 
was the one they stole from Umber,” added Warner, 


CHAPTER XXI 


A VISIT TO GUSTY PETERS 

Soc and Jeffries will go along with you boys. I 
shall feel safer about you, and besides, if you succeed 
in securing the supplies you will want some assistance 
in bringing them back.’’ 

General Carver had come down to the landing, 
accompanied by Sol and Jeffries, to say good-bye to 
Norman and Fred, who were about to leave for a visit 
to the camp of Gusty Peters. 

“ All right,” said Norman, cheerfully. ‘‘ The more 
the merrier.” 

‘‘ I reckon Soc can help us out a bit with the paddle,” 
added Warner. 

‘‘We are certainly going light enough,” said Nor- 
man, “ with nothing but our rifles.” 

“ We’ll hope to be better loaded when we return,” 
said Warner. 

“ All ready, Sol,” said Norman. 

With a swift shove of his paddle, the Indian sent 
the light craft dancing out upon the sluggish water of 
the Punch Bowl. 

With Warner wielding one paddle in the bow, and 
Sol Soc the other in the stern, rapid progress was made, 
246 


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247 


and in what seemed to Norman to be an almost incred- 
ibly short space of time, they had reached the log that 
served as a bridge across the dead water at the end 
of the trail through the black growth, and drawn their 
canoe out upon the shore. 

Is Gusty using the same camp he was in last 
spring, Sol ? ” asked Norman, as he stretched his 
cramped limbs. 

No. Buildum new one dis fall on Mink Brook. 
Mile more,” said the Indian. 

“ How far would it take us out of our way to get 
a peek at his old camp? ” 

‘‘ Jus’ lil way.” 

‘‘ Well, let’s stop there for a few minutes. Fred 
and I were in such a hurry when we left there that 
we never had a chance to give that camp a very careful 
inspection on the outside.” 

Warner laughed. 

“ I reckon you won’t forget right away how it looked 
on the inside,” he said. 

“ Never while I live,” agreed Norman. 

The Indian led the way along the trail through the 
black growth at brisk pace, and very soon they stood 
at the outer edge of the little clearing in which stood 
Peters’s old camp. The brook still bubbled over its 
rocky bed, and the water boiled as cold and clear as 
ever from the fine spring near its bank, but the camp 
was a distinct surprise and disappointment to Norman. 
It looked cold, and squat, and decrepit. 


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The skylight windows had been removed, and a 
section of the roof had been carried away by the fall 
winds. The chinking had worked loose in a number 
of places, leaving large open spaces between the logs. 
The whole aspect of the place was forsaken and forlorn. 

''My! Isn’t this desolate?” said Norman, with a 
shiver. 

" There’s nothing quite so lonesome as a deserted 
camp,” agreed Warner. 

" Old camp rottum down quick,” said the Indian. 

" That’s true,” conceded Warner. " Especially when 
they are built of unpeeled logs, and the worms and 
borers have a good chance to work upon them.” 

" Stayum longer ? ” asked the Indian. 

" No,” returned Norman, promptly. " I’ve seen 
enough. Let’s go where there’s some life.” 

The Indian led the way along an old woods-road 
which was, in effect, a continuation of the one by which 
they had entered the clearing. 

" Gusty’s new camp is near the shore of Eagle Lake, 
the largest body of water on the present Allegash sys- 
tem,” said Warner. 

" That means, I suppose, what was left after the 
East Branch people took the waters of Chamberlain 
Lake,” said Norman. 

" Big trout in Eagle Lake,” said the Indian. 

"Good!” said Norman. "We’ll have to have you 
get us a few, Sol.” 

" Me getum,” said the Indian, confidently. 





A Dkskktej) Lumuer Camp. 









THE YOUNG GUIDE 


249 


For about a mile they held their way through the 
woods, and then came suddenly into a clearing that 
sloped gently to the shores of the lake. Through it, 
the waters of a small brook made their way into the 
lake. In the back part of the clearing were two large 
log camps connected with an intervening “ dingle ’’ or 
shed. One was evidently used as a cook house and 
eating place, while the other contained the sleeping 
quarters of the crew. 

As they approached the camp, its door opened and 
Ross Peters came out. He stopped short, on seeing 
them, and then hastened forward to shake them heart- 
ily by the hands. 

‘‘ I’m glad to see you,” he said, cordially. 

You are looking better than you did the last time 
I saw you,” said Norman. 

“ Oh, Pm a new man,” returned Peters. “ Gaining 
every minute. Pm cleaning my rifle to-day, and I 
feel as well as I expect to. In the morning I’m going 
to start out gunning for Eke Bowfus.” 

‘‘ You have a new gun, have you? ” asked Warner. 

“ Yes. My brother has let me have a Winchester 
he had here at the camp.” 

‘‘ Bowfus and his gang must have quite an arsenal,” 
said Norman. Fred and I have never got our rifles 
back.” 

I think they’ll return to you in time,” said the 
warden, with a smile. “ Come inside,” he added, hos- 
pitably. There’s a good fire in the camp.” 


250 


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The members of the party accepted this invitation 
and soon, seated upon the deacon seat in front of the 
double row of bunks at the rear of the camp, were 
telling Peters their experiences after he had left them. 

‘‘The rascals!^’ exclaimed Peters, as Norman told 
of the shooting of the hound. “ I didn’t suppose that 
any one would dare to dog deer in these woods. Pm 
mighty glad Jim shot the dog,” he added, in a gratified 
tone. The story of the condition in which Umber had 
been found again aroused the warden to an expression 
of wrath. 

“ The cowards ! ” he cried. 

“ They stole his rifle and his canoe,” said Norman, 
“ and I don’t know what else besides.” 

“ Did they take his money ? ” asked Peters. 

“ Why,” * said Norman, in surprise, “ did he have 
any ? ” 

“ Yes. My brother said he was here to buy some 
sugar and coffee a while ago, and had quite a roll with 
him. It was in one of these little folding purses.” 

“Why!” exclaimed Norman, “I gave him that. 
I made him accept a little money from me before I 
left Chamberlain Lake last spring, and made him a 
present of that little purse to carry it in.” 

“You don’t know whether he still has it or not, do 
you ? ” asked the warden. 

“ No,” replied Norman, “ but I’ll find out just as 
soon as we get back.” 

“ I reckon you’ll find that it’s gone,” said Peters, 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


251 


with conviction. “ Its my opinion that Eke Bowfus 
and his gang are at the bottom of that job, too.” 

They appear to be responsible for pretty much all 
the mischief that is done in these woods,” said Nor- 
man. 

Oh, we’ve had bad men before,” said the warden. 
“ I’ve helped send a number of them to prison in times 
past, and I expect to help send Bowfus and his gang 
along to keep them company.” 

Norman was about to reply when the door opened 
to admit the ponderous figure of Gusty Peters. The 
boys also caught a glimpse of the dark, coarse features 
of Black Jake Jasper, but catching sight of them he 
dodged quickly back, and closed the door with a slam. 
The big camp boss was evidently in good humor. 
“ Wal, wal,” he cried, jovially, “ If here ain’t both o’ 
my royal bantams. Glad t’ see ye, boys ! ” he added, 
advancing and shaking hands with them, cordially. 
**' I didn’t know es I should ever see ye again,” he 
continued. 

‘‘ Bad pennies always return,” said Norman, lightly. 

“ I never was no feller t’ carry a grudge,” said the 
big boss, as he took a seat beside them on the deacon 
seat. I was alius willin’ t’ let bygones be bygones.” 

‘‘ So are we,” said Norman, promptly. 

“ Glad t’ hear it,” said Gusty, heartily. ‘‘ Th’ last 
time ye was with me, ye didn’t stay es long es I’d liked 
t* hev had ye, though I tried t’ make things es com- 
fortable for ye es possible.” 


252 


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He rose to his feet, and walking to the front of the 
camp, opened the door. 

“Jake! Here you, Jake!” he shouted. 

“ What d’ ye want ? ” demanded a surly voice. 

“ Come here,” said Gusty, peremptorily, and a 
moment later Jasper slouched into the camp. 

“ Shake hands with the boys,” commanded the boss, 
waving a big hand toward Norman and Fred. 

Very reluctantly Jasper made his way to the back 
of the camp and, in turn, extended a cold hand to Nor- 
man and Fred. 

“ How d’ ye do ? ” he said. 

“ He’s jest tickled to death t’ see ye, boys,” added 
Gusty, who was obviously enjoying the very evident 
discomfiture of his lieutenant. 

“We observed as much,” said Warner, dryly. 

“ Jake alius was a sociable critter,” added Gusty. 
“ Go on out an’ finish choppin’ yer wood,” he added 
to Jasper, and the black giant left the camp, evidently 
relieved that the interview was over. 

“ I want to say, boys, thet what ye done for Ross 
was mighty han’some,” continued the big boss. “ I 
reckon ye saved his life. I’m layin’ for thet ’ere Bow- 
fus, an’, when I git these two ban’s on ’im. I’m a-goin’ 
t’ break ’im in two.” 

“We were very glad to be able to help your 
brother,” said Norman. 

“ Wal, it was a good turn, jest th’ same,” said the 
big boss, “ an’ we won’t forgit it. I’m a law-abidin’ 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


253 


man myself now/’ he added. “No more blowin’ up 
o’ dams fer me. I’ve quit. If the Allegash fellers 
want dirty work done, they’ll hev t’ find some other 
feller t’ do it for ’em ’cept me. If I knowed of any 
one monkeyin’ with thet dam now, I’d gin ’im a lickin’ 
if I hed t’ chase ’im inter Canada to do it. I don’t 
want ye t’ think I’ve any hard feelin’s agin Billy Eus- 
tace. He only done his duty. He used me like a 
white man, an’ let me out o’ a mighty small hole. I 
was a fool t’ git in it ; but you kin bet yer hat I’ll never 
git ketched thet way agin. Arter this I’ll earn my 
money honest or I won’t earn it at all.” 

“ With your ability to handle men, I don’t think 
you’ll ever have any trouble in earning a living,” said 
Norman. 

“ Wal, they do come purty nigh doin’ what I tell 
’em to,” said the big boss, in a gratified tone. “ Did 
ye notice me fetch Jake up t’ th’ ringbolt jest now?” 

Norman laughed. 

“ That was a pretty smooth job,” he commented. 

“ They alius move when I cluck to ’em,” said Gusty. 
“ Now make yourselves t’ hum, boys. O’ course ye’ll 
all stay t’ dinner. I’ve got a few things t’ see to, an’ 
will join ye later. They never lose me et meal time.” 
He hurried out of the camp, leaving the little party 
with his brother. 

“ Perhaps you’d like to see the horse hovels,” said 
the warden, when he had gone. “ Most of the horses 
are working on the yards, but there’s one new team 


254 


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that came in this morning that is having a day off.” 

He led the way out of the camp and into one of the 
long, low horse hovels. The new span of Black Per- 
cherons were indeed, as Norman declared, ‘‘ beauties,” 
and were much admired by all. They were about to 
leave the hovel when they were arrested by Jake - Jas- 
per’s coarse voice in the rear of the building, 

‘‘ I don’t see how ye can bring yerself t’ muckle 
down thet way t’ them young upstarts,” he said. “Ye 
didn’t feel thet way when they pushed ye off th’ log 
inter th’ mud an’ water, th’ time ye was goin’ across 
t’ th’ island arter ’em.” 

“Sho! Sho! What a mem’ry ye’ve got, Jake!” 
returned the camp boss, good-naturedly. “ I’ll admit 
I was hot erbout thet time, an’ I’m glad now I didn’t 
git my ban’s on ’em, while I was a-feelin’ thet way. 
But, bless ye! thet’s all past an’ gone. We must admit, 
Jake, thet they got a leetle th’ best on us. They wa’n’t 
t’ blame, either.” 

“ Mebbee not,” returned Jasper, sullenly, “ but I 
reckon I’ve got a longer mem’ry then you hev.” 

“ I reckon ye hev,” agreed Gusty. “ I owe ’em 
suthin’, though, fer th’ good turn they done my 
brother. If I ever git my ban’s on thet man, Bowfus, 
there’ll be a fust-rate job for a coroner, when I git 
though with ’im.” 

“ Ye’d better go slow on ’im,” warned Jasper. “ He 
might tell es how you was th’ feller thet bought his 
deer meat.” 


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255 


I didn’t know he was a-stealin’ of it,” said the big 
boss. ‘‘ I supposed he was doin’ his own huntin’. 
Besides, we could only hev had part on it. Ross tells 
rne he stole deer all over the Sebois country.” 

I reckon he peddled ’em all over th’ lot,” agreed 
Jasper. 

“ He’d better not show up here agin,” growled the 
camp boss. “ I’m layin’ fer ’im, an’ he’ll sure hear 
suthin’ drop if I ever lay eyes on ’im agin. I’ve done 
a good many mean things in my life; but I never 
upheld any man in stealin’ another man’s game. Thet 
is about th’ limit.” 

‘‘ I don’t know,” said Jasper, ‘‘ es there’s any good 
reason why we poor fellers who do hard, bone-work 
fer all we git should go without fresh meat while a 
lot o’ rich nabobs come down here an’ cart it away 
from our very doors. I gathered from what Ross said 
es how they hed a member of th’ royal fam’ly along 
with Gin’ral Carver an’ his crowd — a Lord suthin’ 
or other. Think o’ sech a feller shootin’ our deer an’ 
cartin’ ’em away, while we poor fellers hev t’ eat salt 
pork an’ beans.” 

“ Game belongs t’ th’ man es shoots it,” said the 
boss, with conviction, an’ no man hes any right t’ 
meddle with it.” 

“ I reckon there was times when Bowfus found thet 
his market was bigger’n his supply,” said Jasper. 

“ I pity th’ camp thet gits th’ name of encouragin’ 
thet sort o’ business,” said Gusty. “ Th’ guides air 


256 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


purty good fellers if ye use ^em right; but if they git 
th’ notion ye air not playin’ fair, suthin’ is a-goin’ t’ 
drop.” 

“ There’s a good many fellers es knows th’ woods 
thet don’t git a chance t’ guide,” said Jasper, bitterly. 

The camp boss broke into a hearty guffaw of laugh- 
ter. 

“ Is suthin’ ticklin’ of ye? ” asked Jasper, resentfully. 

“ No,” chuckled Gusty. “ I was jest a- wonderin’ 
how th’ sports ever happened t’ overlook sech a talk- 
ative, jovial critter es you air when they was a-lookin’ 
round fer guides.” 

“ A good many on ’em hev gone further an’ fared 
wuss,” growled Jasper. 

Sure thing,” agreed the camp boss. The two men 
moved away from the hovel and their conversation 
became inaudible. The game warden turned to his 
companion with a troubled face. 

“ It is evident,” he said, ‘‘ that there are some chap- 
ters of history that I am not familiar with, but I think 
I can get my brother to tell me the whole story.” 

I think it would be better that it should come from 
him,” said Norman. 

A little later they were gathered about a table in the 
cook’s camp eating dinner with Gusty and Black Jake, 
the men of the crew being away at work, and having 
taken their own lunches into the woods with them. 

“ Hey ye, thar, ’Poleon,” called Gusty, jovially, to 
the French cook, who was eyeing Norman and Fred 


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257 


askance through the door of the shed-roofed room at 
the end of the camp, which served him as a kitchen. 

Come in an’ shake hands with the boys.” Very red 
in the face and evidently much abashed and mystified, 
the cook came into the room and diffidently shook hands 
with Norman and Fred. Gusty had evidently deter- 
mined to treat the episodes connected with the Cham- 
berlain dam as a huge joke. 

I see ye remember ’em,” he said, noting the cook’s 
embarrassment. “ Ha ! ha ! ha ! ” he laughed. I 
reckon ye’ll never forgit thet time they made yer an’ 
Trefle Serois walk Spanish down through th’ clearin’ 
et th’ ole camp. Didn’t ary one on ye dare t’ look 
right or left. Hed yer eyelashes parted in th’ middle, 
so ye could toe th’ mark.” 

‘‘You don’t lay it up against us, do you?” asked 
Norman, with a smile. 

“ No,” replied the cook, shyly. “ Dat all ban for- 
got.” 

“ There ain’t ary one o’ them fellers growed any 
since,” said Gusty, “ an’ ’Poleon here hed started on 
t’ be es big es me.” 

“We came over to-day, Mr. Peters, — ” began 
Norman. 

“ Don’t ‘ Mr. Peters ’ me. Call me Gusty.” 

“ Well, then. Gusty,” said Norman, with a smile, 
“ we want to buy a few provisions.” 

“ You kin hev anything I’ve got,” said the boss, 
promptly. 


258 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ I was just wondering if we could secure a few 
pounds of this good butter,” said Norman. It would 
go well with Fred’s hot biscuits.” 

“ All ye want of it,” said Gusty, promptly, ‘‘ only 
I might es well tell ye thet it ain’t butter. It’s jest a 
good grade of colored oleomargarine. Th’ men only 
think it’s butter. Sometimes men in th’ woods is more 
contented if they don’t know too much.” 

‘‘ It will be a great improvement over anything we 
have,” said Norman. 

“ ’Poleon,” called the boss, ‘‘ after dinner ye show 
th’ boys what we’ve got in the way of provisions, an’ 
fit ’em out with anything they want.” 

A little later, loaded down with supplies, the little 
party was on its way back to the dead water. 

The Indian, always a powerful man, carried a load 
that was a marvel to the boys, as did also Jeffries, 
who, although not a large man, was an unusually tough 
and wiry one. Both Norman and Fred carried loads 
that they would scarcely have cared to have transported 
a great distance, comforting themselves with the reflec- 
tion that by far the greater part of their journey would 
be made on the water. 

A little later they were looking into each other’s 
faces in amazement and consternation. 

Their canoe was gone! 





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CHAPTER XXII 


NORMAN GETS BACK HIS RIFLE 

“ It doesn’t look as if the folks on the island will 
get these provisions right away,” said Norman, dis- 
consolately. 

Getum back all lite,” said the Indian, confidently. 

That’s easy,” added Warner. 

‘‘ How? ” demanded Norman. 

‘‘ We’ll go back and borrow a canoe of our great 
and good friend Gusty Peters,” returned Warner. 

That’s so. I didn’t think of that,” said Norman. 

Do you suppose he’d let us have one? ” 

“ No doubt of it,” returned Warner, confidently. 

Gusty’s heart is entirely in harmony with his big 
feet.” 

But perhaps the fellows who stole our canoe may 
come back and steal our provisions, if we go away and 
leave them here,” objected Norman. 

“ We needn’t all go,” explained Warner. “ Sol and 
I will see Gusty, and borrow a canoe of him, while 
you and Bill stay here and guard these supplies.” 

“ A good idea,” agreed Norman. 

‘‘ Hi think we cud make it summat h’interestin’ for 
any one as dared lay his ’and on these things,” said 
259 


26 o 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Jeffries. “ Hi wouldn’t mind pottin’ the chap as stole 
that canoe, if I ’ad a good chance.” 

“ Don’t get impatient,” called Warner, as he and Sol 
started back over the trail. “ We’ll return just as soon 
as we can.” The two guides passed out of sight, leav- 
ing Norman alone with Jeffries. 

They had been guarding the provisions but a short 
time when a young man came swinging down the trail 
through the black growth. He gave a start of sur- 
prise, as he saw Norman and Jeffries, but, apparently, 
recovered himself, and came boldly down to meet them. 
With a start Norman recognized him as one of the 
two men whom he had seen with Bowfus on the bog 
island, through the hole in the camp chinking. 

“Hello, Ben!” he said. 

The newcomer started back in surprise at this unex- 
pected greeting. 

“ You hev th’ advantage o’ me,” he said. “ I don’t 
remember t’ hev ever seen you before.” 

“ Perhaps not,” returned Norman, coolly, “ but I’ve 
seen you before. I’ve also seen that Winchester you 
are carrying. It used to belong to me, before Eke 
Bowfus stole it from me, and I rather think it’s mine 
still.” 

“ Great Scott ! ” gasped the newcomer. “ You must 
be one o’ them boys es was shut up in th’ camp on the 
island.” 

“ I was,” said Norman, “ but I didn’t stay there long. 
I think a man has a right to claim his own property 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


261 


wherever he finds it, and I’ll trouble you to hand over 
that rifle.” 

The dark features of the newcomer were convulsed 
with rage. 

“ I don’t know anything about its being your rifle,” 
he growled, savagely. I came by it honestly, and I 
intend to keep it.” 

I have my doubts about that,” said Norman, firmly. 

‘‘ Hi think you ’ad better give it up to once,” chimed 
in Jeffries, and Ben’s dark features grew pale, as he 
turned his head to gaze into the barrel of Jeffries’s 
rifle. 

‘‘ ’And that gun right over, my ’arty,” insisted the 
Englishman, coolly. “ Hi’ve shot men before, an’ it 
don’t trouble me any to do it. Drop that gun. Hi say.” 

With a muttered oath Ben let the rifle fall to the 
ground. 

“ I’m glad you’ve decided to be sensible about this 
matter,” said Norman, as he picked it up. “ Now oer- 
haps you can tell us who stole our canoe.” 

‘‘ I don’t know,” snapped Ben, his coarse features 
red with rage, ‘‘ and if I did I wouldn’t tell you.” 

‘‘ Oh, very well,” returned Norman, calmly. “ Just 
as you please about that. I’ll tell you right now, 
though, that we’re going to have it back, and the ones 
W’ho took it will hear something drop.” 

^‘You’re a white man!” sneered Ben. “Take a 
man’s gun away from him and turn him loose in the 
big woods, unarmed.” 


262 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ That’s precisely what Eke Bowfus did to Fred 
Warner and me,” said Norman, sharply, only he 
didn’t turn us loose after he took away our guns. He 
shut us up, and you were with him ^t the time.” 

That’s a lie ! ” returned Ben, hotly. 

“ You ’ad better be careful,” warned Jeffries. A 
man whose ears are so long that he goes around 
a-shootin’ off that word, is mighty liable to git ’em 
trimmed summat.” 

‘‘ It’s no use for you to deny it,” said Norman, 
stoutly. “ You were with Eke Bowfus when Warner 
and I were shut up in the camp on the island. I got 
a good square look at you, and I shall not soon forget 
that face of yours.” 

‘‘ You surely never saw me there,” insisted Ben, 
sullenly. ‘‘ I never saw Eke Bowfus in my life.” 

“Oh, tell that to the marines!” said Norman, 
impatiently. 

Ben now tried a new tack. 

“ Don’t go for bein’ mean with me,” he whined. 
“ Be a white man, and let me have my gun.” 

“ It’s not your gun — it’s mine,” said Norman, 
firmly. “ and I intend to keep it. Moreover, I’m not 
sure but that we ought to tie you up, too.” 

“ Hi ’ear as ’ow a lot o’ chaps down Sebois way are 
’untin’ for you — with a rope,” added Jeffries. 

“ Don’t do thet,” said Ben, in very evident alarm. 
“ I’ll allow ye’ve got me foul ; but ye must remember 
thet I never did you no harm.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


263 


“ Fm not so sure of that/’ said Norman, doubtfully. 
‘‘ However, you may go,” he added, ‘‘ that is, unless 
you would prefer to remain and meet Sol Soc and Fred 
Warner.” 

Ben started visibly at the mention of the Indian, of 
whom he evidently had a wholesome dread. It was 
very evident that he had no desire to remain and meet 
the guides. 

‘‘ I reckon I’ll be cl’arin’ out,” he said, nervously, 
and, turning abruptly away, he was speedily lost to 
view in the sheltering depths of the black growth. 

‘‘ Well, at any rate I’ve got my rifle back,” said 
Norman, with a sigh of relief. 

‘‘ Hi’m worrited for fear we made a bloomin’ mis- 
take in lettin’ ’im go,” said Jeffries, dubiously. 

I thought of holding him,” said Norman, ‘‘ but I 
was afraid he would prove to be an elephant on our 
hands. Four of us and these provisions are about all 
one canoe will hold, comfortably.” 

“ That’s werry true, sir,” agreed Jeffries. 

Besides,” continued Norman, ‘‘ Bowfus is the real 
fellow we want. The others are merely his tools.” 

’E’s th’ customer we must ’ave,” declared Jeffries, 
with decision. 

A few moments after Ben had passed from sight, 
Sol and Warner put in an appearance, lugging a good- 
sized canoe. 

“Hurrah!” cried Norman. “You got one.” 

“ Sure,” said Warner. “ That’s what we went for. 


264 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Gusty would have let us had two, if we’d wanted 
them.” 

“ Well, Bill and I were entertaining Eke Bowfus’s 
man ‘ Ben ’ here a little w’hile ago,” said Norman. 
‘‘We made him cough up my rifle.” 

“Your rifle!” repeated Warner, in suspense. “So 
you did,” he added, catching sight of the gun. “ You 
didn’t see anything of mine, did you?” 

“ No,” said Norman, “ Eke probably gave that to 
Lem.” 

“ What for you letum go ? ” asked the Indian, 
reproachfully. 

“ I didn’t see how we could handle him very well,” 
returned Norman. “We have now about all we can 
crowd into this canoe. Besides Bowfus is the fellow 
we want.” 

“ We wantum all,” said the Indian, positively. 

In a short time the canoe was loaded, Sol showing 
no little skill in stowing away the burden it had to 
carry. The big red man was evidently disposed to 
hurry, and drove their frail craft through the water at 
a very rapid rate, with broad, powerful sweeps of his 
paddle. As they neared the end of the little island in 
the Punch Bowl they saw Benner with a pickpole tow- 
ing a log along the shore in the direction of the landing. 

“Look, Fred!” said Norman, excitedly. “That’s 
the very log that Peters attempted to use as a bridge 
that morning he tried to join you and me on the island. 
Don’t you remember it ? ” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


265 


‘‘ It’s the very same one/’ agreed Warner, “ and it 
looks as if it were even more slippery than it was when 
Gusty tried to walk it.” 

“ Ha ! ha ! ha ! ” laughed Norman. “ What a sight 
he was when you shook him off that log into the 
water ! ” 

‘‘ And wasn’t he mad, too ! ” added Warner. 

I thought he’d lay it up against us long as he 
lived, but he seems to have overlooked it,” said Nor- 
man. 

“ Treats it as a big joke now,” added Warner. 

“ Hello, Jim ! What are you doing with that log? ” 
shouted Norman, as they came opposite the landing. 

“ I was a-figgerin’ es how we’d hev t’ use it in our 
bus’ness,” said Benner, “ but I reckon we won’t need 
it now, so I’ll leave it here on th’ shore. Some var- 
mint hes stole our canoe.” 

‘‘In broad daylight! Oh, Jim!” exclaimed Nor- 
man, reproachfully. 

Benner grew very red in the face. 

“ One man can’t be cook ’n’ chore boy here, an’ hev 
much time t’ watch canoes,” he said, impatiently. 

“ Gee whiz ! ” he exclaimed, as his eye rested on the 
canoe which Sol had driven up onto the little stretch 
of sandy beach, “ thet ain’t th’ canoe ye went away 
with.” 

“ No,” admitted Norman. 

“ Whar is it ? ” demanded the veteran. 

“ Some one stole it,” confessed Norman. 


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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ Ho ! ho ! an' in broad daylight, too ! ” laughed 
Benner. “ Boys, Fm ashamed o’ ye ! ” he added. 
‘‘ Whar was th’ ole fox all thet time ? ” he asked, with 
a glance at Sol. 

“ It was taken from the dead water while we wer^ 
all down at Gusty’s camp,” explained Norman. 

Th’ scallywags ! ” exclaimed Benner, indignantly. 

“ We held up Eke Bowfus’s man, Ben, and got back 
my rifle,” continued Norman. 

“Ye don’t say!” exclaimed Benner, in surprise. 
“ Why didn’t ye shoot th’ whelp ? ” 

“ We didn’t think it would be wise,” said Norman, 
lightly. 

“ Wal, I dunno es ’t would,” conceded Benner, “ but 
ye surely ought t’ hev held outer ’im until th’ rest on 
us could hev got a peek et ’im.” 

“ Sol was a little put out because we let him go,” 
said Norman, “ but I thought we had about all the 
canoe would hold without him.” 

“ Wal,” said Benner, “ I’m mighty glad t’ see a canoe 
here. I was afeared it was goin’ t’ bother his royal 
highness t’ walk thet log.” 

Norman laughed. “ Lord Matterson is a good deal 
better fellow than you give him credit for being, Jim,*’ 
he said. 

“ Wal, mebbe so,” conceded Benner, grudgingly. 

In a short time they were seated in the little cabin, 
relating their experiences to General Carver, Hamilton, 
and Lord Matterson. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


267 


‘‘ It’s very evident,” said General Carver, when they 
had finished the story of their trip, that those fellows 
mean to annoy us in every possible way. We must 
make sure that they do not get our last canoe. I don’t 
know where we could get another one.” 

We’ll make sure that they don’t get that,” said 
Norman. ‘‘ Sol has lugged it well up on to the shore 
where it will be in plain view. How’s your patient ? ” 

“ He hasn’t recovered consciousness yet,” said the 
General, although I have thought for the last two 
or three hours that his breathing was better, and his 
condition had more appearance of natural sleep.” 

‘‘ Hello ! ” called a voice from the lower bunk. The 
members of the party turned to see that the hermit 
was awake and regarding them curiously. Norman 
hastened to his side. 

“ Do you remember me, Dave ? ” he asked, taking 
the thin hand of the hermit in his. 

“Norman Carver!” exclaimed the old man, joy- 
fully; “and you, friend Warner,” he added, as his eye 
rested on Fred. “I’m — I’m very glad to see you. 
Welcome to Foxlair.” 

“ This is my father. General Carver,” said Norman, 
as the General bent above the sick man. 

“ Glad to see you,” said Umber, feebly. He glanced 
wearily around the room. “ Where — where’s Bow- 
fus?” he asked. 

“ He’s gone,” said the General, gently. Don’t 
w’orry about him. He can’t hurt you.” 


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‘‘ I used him well,” said the sick man. I invited 
him into my house, and he struck me down like a 
dog — oh, accursed ! accursed ! ” 

There, there ! ” said the General, soothingly, ‘‘ I 
wouldn’t talk about him. It will only excite you. 
He’s gone, and let us think no more about him.” 
Umber became calmer as Norman skillfully drew his 
thoughts to other subjects. 

He told, with no little pride, of the most successful 
crops he had ever raised on the island, and of the 
comfort he had derived from his hens and pigs. 

‘‘ Fortune has at last smiled upon me, thanks to 
you,” he said. “ I’ve had a very prosperous summer 
and fall.” 

I shall always feel a great debt of gratitude to 
you, Mr. Umber,” said the General, for the great 
service you rendered my son in a time of need, and I 
wish to repay you in any way that I can.” 

Don’t mention it,” said the hermit, deprecatingly. 
“ He and Mr. Warner were very welcome to Foxlair. 
They’ve done much more for me than I was ever able 
to do for them.” 

‘‘ At the same time, we shall always feel under obli- 
gation to you,” said General Carver. 

A little later Umber insisted on getting up, and 
dressing himself. He was a little wabbly on his feet, 
but evidently delighted to play the host to so large a 
company. 

He was given a place of honor at the head of the 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 269 

table at supper, and beamed upon his guests like a 
patriarch. 

It was evident that his returning strength brought 
with it also a returning appetite, and the manner in 
which he stowed away the light biscuits Fred Warner 
had baked, made Lord Matterson open his eyes in 
amazement. • 

I think we shall have to establish a guard to-night,’^ 
announced General Carver, as the members of the party 
were leaving the supper table. “ I’ll let you go on till 
midnight, Mr. Jeffries, and then Sol can relieve you.” 

‘‘ Don’t leave Fred and me out,” said Norman. 

We shall play no favorites at this work,” said the 
General. ‘‘We will work in rotation, and, if we stay 
here long enough, every one will have all the oppor- 
tunity he desires to do guard duty. By the way, Jef- 
fries,” he added, handing the Englishman a bundle, 
“ here’s a little something the boys got for you out of 
Peters’s wangan yesterday.” 

With a look of wonder on his face, Jeffries cut the 
stout string that bound it, and slowly unrolled the 
bundle, revealing a warm mackinaw, a heavy suit of 
underclothing, a blue flannel shirt, a thick pair of trou- 
sers, an extra warm pair of hand-knit stockings, and a 
woollen toque. 

“ Be these for me, sir ? ” he asked, in a tone of 
bewilderment. 

“ Yes,” said the General. “ We thought they would 
help make a better guard of you.” 


270 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Hi think they will, sir,” said Jeffries, much touched. 
“ Hi’m sure I ’ave no words to tell ye my thanks ; but 
Hi — Hi h’appreciate it, sir.” 

“ You are certainly very welcome,” said the General. 
“ We felt that your clothes were not quite suitable for 
the season.” 

“ That’s werry true, sir,” admitted Jeffries, ‘‘ but 
they was all I ’ad.” 

A little later, rifle in hand, and clad in his new, warm 
suit, the Englishman left the camp to stand guard in 
the clearing. 

“ He seems to be a pretty decent sort of a fellow,” 
said the General, when he had gone. 

“ He certainly stood by me very handsomely when 
I held up Eke Bowfus’s man, Ben, yesterday,” said 
Norman. 


CHAPTER XXIII 


THE CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF THE BOWFUS GANG 

There was a little stir in the camp about midnight 
when Jeffries stepped in and waked up Sol, who relieved 
him, but in a short time all under the roof of the little 
cabin were sleeping soundly as before, while the Indian 
kept his weary vigil. In the hours of the early morn- 
ing all were aroused by a succession of shots in the 
clearing, followed by loud cries for help. 

Scarcely waiting to dress, the members of the party 
hastened out of doors to ascertain the cause of this 
outcry. 

In the dim light of the early dawn they saw the 
Indian standing by the landing place and reaching out 
a pickpole to some men who were evidently struggling 
in the mud and water of the Punch Bowl. 

“ Stealum canoe. Me shootum holes in it,’’ explained 
the Indian, briefly. 

An’ sunk th’ ship, by ginger,” said Benner, as a 
gleam of the true situation and its possibilities dawned 
upon him.” 

“ Gitum coil of rope in workshop,” grunted the 
Indian, and Benner hastened away to do as directed. 
He returned with the rope just as Eke Bowfus, wet 
271 


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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


and muddy, was dragged ashore at the end of the 
pickpole. The other two men were still in the canoe, 
which, full of water, was slowly sinking in the black 
mud when Sol threw them the end of the rope which 
Benner had brought. 

‘‘ Tieum to canoe,” he ordered. The thoroughly 
frightened men hastened to obey, and the frail craft 
was slowly drawn through the soft mud to the little 
stretch of sandy beach, by those on the shore. The 
two men jumped out and stood among their captors 
with Eke Bowfus. They were sorry-looking fellows 
whose teeth were still chattering with cold and fright. 

“Hurrah! Here’s my Marlin!” shouted Warner, 
joyfully, as he pulled a rifle from the canoe. “ I was 
afraid they might have thrown it away.” 

“ I reckon they was too scared t’ think on it,” said 
Benner, grimly. 

“Tieum up,” announced Sol, shortly, as he ap- 
proached the prisoners with the rope which he had 
unfastened from the canoe. 

“ No, ye don’t,” growled Bowfus, angrily, “ I won’t 
Stan’ for thet.” He broke away and started to run, 
but, with a bound, the Indian reached him and seizing 
him with a firm grip by the collar, shook him very 
much as a terrier would shake a rat. Meanwhile Jef- 
fries came alongside of him, and, with a quick move- 
ment, tripped him up. He fell heavily upon the ground, 
and Sol, kneeling upon him, proceeded to bind his 
arms firmly behind his back. His two companions 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


m 


were thoroughly cowed, and suffered themselves to be 
bound without further objections. 

“ This is an outrage ! It’s goin’ altogether too fur,” 
howled Bowfus, his dark features contorted with rage, 
as the Indian lifted him none too tenderly to his feet. 
‘‘ I’ll make ye suffer for this.” 

‘‘ Shutum up mouth,” ordered the Indian, peremp- 
torily. 

By good rights,” growled Benner, resentfully, we 
should hev taken thet ’ere rope and hung yer wuthless 
carcuss t’ th’ fust tree.” 

“ No talkum,” commanded Sol. 

** That means you, Jim,” said Norman, with a laugh. 

I don’t keer who it means,” sputtered Benner. “ I 
reckon this ain’t no Quaker meetin’.” 

“ Well, we are without a canoe once more,” said 
Norman, with an attempt to change the conversation. 

Me fixum,” said Sol. ‘‘ Putum on patches.” 

‘‘You can’t lose Sol on the canoe question,” said 
Warner. “ He’ll make it as good as new when he gets 
at it. He could build one, give him time enough.” 

“ It’s curus t’ me,” said Benner, “ how he managed 
t’ fill thet canoe full o’ holes jest below th’ water line, 
without shooting off a few toes.” 

“ What are we going to do with these men, father? ” 
asked Norman. 

“ I think the first thing will be to take them in before 
the open fire and let them dry off,” said the General. 

“ Dryum off in workshop,” said the Indian. 


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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


No, Sol,” said the General, firmly, “ I think we’ll - 
give them the benefit of a little fire. We cannot afford 
to misuse them simply because we have them in our 
power.” 

As the party entered the little cabin. Umber, who 
had remained behind, came tottering forward, his eyes 
blazing with excitement. 

“ Accursed ! Accursed ! ” he shrieked, pointing an 
accusing finger at Bowfus. At the same time he 
reached for one of the rifles that stood in the corner 
of the room. He was obviously in a highly wrought- 
up state of mind, and might have done some damage, 
had not Lord Matterson thrown his arms about him 
from behind and restrained him. 

‘‘ Come, now, this won’t do at all, don’t you know,” 
said the Englishman, firmly. 

“ You must calm yourself, Mr. Umber,” admonished 
Hamilton. ‘‘ These men are prisoners of war.” 

‘‘ Assassins ! Assassins, I say ! ” shouted Umber, 
struggling to free himself. ‘‘ I am the avenging 
angel ! ” 

“ Angels don’t seek revenge, Mr. Umber,” said the 
General, gently. ‘‘ Really, you must calm yourself.” 

The old hermit ceased struggling, and hung his head. 

‘‘ You are right,” he said, in a strangely altered tone. 

‘‘ ‘ Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord,’ ” 
he quoted. “ What is frail man that he should under- 
take to anticipate the judgments of Heaven ? ” 

“ I reckon es how we hev a little delegated author- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


275 


ity,’^ began Benner, cynically, but checked himself at 
a motion from the General. Fresh fuel was piled into 
the big open fire-place at the end of the camp, and the 
discouraged Bowfus and his men were seated within 
the circle of its warmth to dry their wet clothing. All 
were sullen and taciturn, watching their captors with 
restless eyes, but making no comments. 

“ Well, Bowfus,’’ said the General, regarding the 
crestfallen leader, sternly, “ You must know that you 
are about through with your knavery, and now perhaps 
you will tell us what you did with our canoes.” 

“ I don’t know anything about your canoes,” returned 
Bowfus, suddenly. ‘‘ I never tetched ’em.” 

“ I’m inclined to doubt that statement,” said the 
General. ‘‘ However, let that pass. What have you 
done with the one you took from Umber?” 

“ Thet’s down on th’ shore shot full o’ holes. Thet’s 
th’ one we came in.” 

Oh, that’s it, is it?” asked the General. “Well, 
what did you do with the one you took from us ? ” 

Bowfus hesitated. 

“ Answer me,” ordered the General, sharply. 

“ I reckon thet’s afloat on the dead water somewhar,” 
returned Bowfus. “ We was a-towin’ it,” he explained, 
“an’ th’ Injun shot away th’ rope. Thar was quite 
a wind stirrin’, an’ it floated away.” 

“ What did you take from Mr. Umber besides his 
canoe ? ” continued the General. 

‘‘Er — nothin’,” responded Bowfus, uneasily. 


276 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ Sol/^ said the General, “ I wish you would run 
through this man’s pockets and see what you find.” 

I won’t Stan’ fer it ! Don’t ye dare lay a hand on 
me,” shouted Bowfus, angrily. 

Sit down,” commanded the General, sternly. 

‘‘We don’t keer whether ye stan’ fer it or lay fer 
it. Yer pockets air goin’ t’ be sarched jest th’ same,” 
said Benner, grimly. 

“ I ain’t got nothin’ thet ain’t mine,” protested 
Bowfus. 

“ In that case,” said Hamilton, “ you surely ought 
to have no objection to a search.” 

“ Stanum up,” ordered the Indian. 

Bowfus made no move. 

“ I say stanum up,” repeated the Indian. 

Still Bowfus remained seated. 

With a swift movement the Indian reached forward 
and seizing the outlaw by both ears yanked him roughly 
to his feet. 

“ Hands off, ye bloody heathen ! ” shrieked Bowfus, 
in an agony of rage and pain. “ I’ll — I’ll have your 
red heart fer thet ! ” 

“ Ha ! ha ! ” chuckled Benner. “ I reckon ye’d better 
sit right up and take notice when ole Sol speaks t’ ye. 
If ye don’t, th’ fust thing ye know he’ll hev yer ears.” 

“ Blawst my h’eyes, but it’s bloomin’ good ’andles 
they made,” chuckled Jeffries. 

“ Yes, the air sartinly big ones,” conceded Benner. 
“ It’s a sign o’ th’ breed.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


277 


“ Ye’d better close thet big fly trap o’ yourn,” said 
Bowfus, resentfully. ‘‘Ye alius was a great feller fer 
shootin’ off yer mouth. IVe heard all erbout ye, long 
ago.” 

“ Well, I reckon ye never heard thet I went round 
th’ kentry sandbaggin’ old men,” said Benner. “ Only 
cowards do thet.” 

“ I reckon Fve sand enough t’ meet you any time 
or anywhar,” hissed Bowfus. 

“ I wouldn’t like nothin’ better then t’ hev it out 
with ye,” said Benner, coolly. 

“Yer chance may come yet,” threatened Bowfus. 

While this interchange of pleasantries had been going 
on, Sol Soc had been carefully going through the 
pockets of the discomfited Bowfus. 

“ Ah ha ! That’s mine,” exclaimed Umber, excit- 
edly jumping to his feet, as Sol produced a small fold- 
ing purse from one of Bowfus’s pockets. “ Robber ! ” 
he shrieked, pointing a long, bony finger in the face of 
the thief. “ You stole that from me.” 

“ I wish ye’d watch this ole feller,” said Bowfus, 
uneasily. “ He’s crazy es a bed bug, an’ liable t’ do 
anything thet comes inter his head.” 

“ You stole that from me, you rascal,” repeated 
Umber, in a thin, high-pitched voice. 

“ What do you say to that charge ? ” demanded the 
General. 

“ He lies,” asserted Bowfus, boldly. “ That was 
n^ver his purse, though perhaps he may have had one 


2y8 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


like it. I bought and paid for that purse with my own 
money.’’ 

‘‘Let me look at it,” said Norman. 

Sol passed him the purse, and, holding it in the light 
of the fireplace, he examined it closely. 

“ You never bought that purse,” he declared pres- 
ently, turning to Bowfus. 

“ Why ? ” demanded the outlaw, sullenly. 

“ Because,” said Norman, “ I bought it myself. I 
gave that purse to Umber, and here are my initials in 
it now in ink just where I wrote them.” 

That appeared to be fairly conclusive. 

“ What have you to say to that ? ” asked the General. 

“ Nothin’,” snapped Bowfus. “ You are a lawyer, 
an’ you’ve set your trap fer me. All these men air 
your witnesses. Ye needn’t ask me no more questions, 
fer I sha’n’t answer ’em.” 

“ I don’t think it will be necessary,” said the Gen- 
eral, dryly. “We already have quite sufficient evi- 
dence to make matters decidedly interesting for you.” 

The first rays of the morning sun were streaming 
into the windows of the little cabin, and throwing their 
mellow light upon the strange group. 

“ What are we going to do with these men ? ” asked 
Hamilton. 

“ I think we’d better hold them under guard in the 
workshop to-day,” said the General. “ I will let Ben- 
ner and Jeffries take charge of them.” 

“ Now,” he continued, with energy, when the pris- 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


279 


oners had left the cabin, there must be no careless 
work on our part. We’d better bring that canoe up 
here in front of the cabin where Sol can fix it and 
where we can watch it. I saw a couple of carpenter’s 
horses in the workshop. We can put it on those while 
repairs are being made. Sol, I wish you’d walk around 
the island and see if that other canoe is lodged any- 
where against the shore. I want you all to look sharply 
after your rifles. It is very important that these men 
be kept from getting their hands on any firearms.” 

The members of the party were in the midst of break- 
fast when Warner, who was waiting on the table and 
who chanced to glance out of the window, brought them 
all out of doors in season to see Sol Soc paddle up to 
the landing in the missing canoe, which was the one 
he and Warner had borrowed from Gusty Peters. 

In response to an eager chorus of questions, he 
explained that he had found it lodged against the 
lower end of the island. The discovery proved to be 
an important one, inasmuch as this canoe, in addition 
to an extra paddle, was found to contain two rifles. 

‘‘ Sol,” said the General, “ I wish you would go over 
to Peters’s camp and get the game warden. I think 
he’ll be very glad to come back with you when he knows 
what we’ve got here. Jeffries can go along with you 
to guard your canoe on the dead water while you are 
down to the camp.” 

‘‘ I don’t reckon he’ll need t’ hev it guarded, es long 
es we keep thet bunch in th’ workshop,” said Benner. 


28 o 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ That may be true,” agreed the General ; but still 
we mustn’t neglect to take all possible precautions to 
prevent any surprise. We’ll take turns guarding the 
prisoners through the day.” 

It was the middle of the afternoon when Sol and 
Jeffries returned. 

‘‘ Well ? ” questioned the General. 

“ Him gone,” announced the Indian. ** Huntum 
for Bowfus.” 

“ That’s too bad,” said the General, in a tone of 
disappointment. “ When will he be back ? ” 

“ To-night,” said Sol. “ Him brudder tell him.” 

‘‘ I reckon he’ll be round pretty airly in th’ mornin’,” 
said Benner. 

It was Lord Matterson’s turn to stand guard over the 
prisoners the first part of the night. 

‘‘ You’d better take a lantern, and look in on them 
every few minutes,” said the General. “ It’s going to 
be a very dark night.” 

The members of the party were sleeping soundly a 
little after midnight when they were suddenly awakened 
by a sharp hail from Lord Matterson. 

‘‘ ’Alt ! ’Alt, I say ! ” he shouted, sharply, and almost 
immediately there came a succession of rifle shots. 

With breathless haste, the members of the party made 
their way into the night to find Lord Matterson with 
his lantern on his arm standing in the middle of the 
little clearing. 

“ They — They’ve gone ! ” he gasped. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


281 


Gone ! ” exclaimed the General, blankly. “ When 
did you discover it ? 

“ Just now. I was in there half an hour ago, and 
they all lay on that pile of shavings in the corner of 
the shop tied up hand and foot and fast asleep. I went 
in a few minutes ago, and they were gone. They’d 
managed to cut their ropes,” he added, exhibiting some 
short pieces. “ I found these on the floor. I hurried 
out and looked around the clearing, but it was so dark 
I couldn’t see anything. Then I looked for the canoes, 
and found them both here. That made me feel better, 
for I concluded they must be somewhere on the island. 
I was about to go back to the workshop when I fancied 
I heard some one moving about at the landing. I 
called to them to ’alt and fired my rifle. I feel quite 
certain that I heard one of them fall into the water.” 

“ Let’s go down to the landing, and investigate,” 
suggested the General. 

With eager haste the members of the party made 
their way to the little stretch of beach. Stretching 
from the island shore to the mainland was the log 
which Gusty Peters and Black Jake Jasper had once 
cut for a bridge, and which Benner had towed along- 
side the landing that morning to serve the same pur- 
pose. 

The veteran woodsman gave a groan. 

An’ I fetched thet ’ere log up here t’ serve them 
’ere critters es a bridge,” he said, with deep disgust. 

I ought t’ be licked fer bein’ so keerless.” 


282 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“No one could have anticipated what has happened,” 
said the General. 

“ I imagine that one of them may have slipped off 
the log,” said Hamilton, “ but the others appear tc 
have got him out.” 

“ They must have got that pickpole that hung under 
the eaves of the cabin,” said Warner. 

From the black growth on top of the embankment 
on the opposite shore came a burst of derisive laughter. 

“ Good-bye,” called a mocking voice in the darkness. 



Toting ” a Canoe 






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CHAPTER XXIV 


FOLLOWING THE TRAIL 

“ Wal/’ ejaculated Benner, wrathfully, “ thet air 
feller is sartinly th’ limit/' 

“ He surely does not appear to have any very good 
idea of the eternal fitness of things," agreed Hamilton. 

“ One would fancy," said Lord Matterson, “ that he 
would be glad enough to get away at all, don’t you 
know, without crowing about it." 

‘‘ Hurled his defy right in our very teeth/’ said 
Benner. 

“ What I’m anxious to find out," said Genera. 
Carver, “ is how those fellows got away. It’s very 
evident that the ropes that bound them were cut.” 

Thet’s easy," said Benner. “We had ’em tied 
but not gagged." 

“What difference would that make?" asked the 
General. 

“ All th’ difference in th’ world," explained Benner. 

Ye see, they all kerried sheath knives in their belts. 
All one on ’em hed t’ do was t’ pull a knife from the 
other’s belt with his teeth — an’ th’ rest was easy." 

“ I see," said the General. ‘‘ Holding the knife in 
his teeth he could easily cut one of his companions free. 

283 


284 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


We were very careless to leave them their knives.” 

We sure were,” said Benner, “ but then hindsight 
is gin’rally better then foresight.” 

Yes,” agreed the General. “ It’s easy enough to 
determine our mistakes in the light of history, and the 
best of us are liable to make mistakes.” 

I think we’d better still keep up a watch,” said 
Hamilton. 

“ Yes,” growled Benner. Th’ boss is stolen, now 
let’s nail up th’ stable door.” 

‘‘You are right, Mr. Hamilton,” said the General, 
ignoring Benner’s lugubrious remark. “We have at 
least learned the importance of eternal vigilance in 
dealing with these men.” 

“ I fancy it’s the price of safety,” said Lord Matter- 
son. 

“ I should be surprised if they don’t try to give us 
more trouble,” added the General. 

“ They wantum rifles,” said Sol. 

“ That’s it,” said the General. “ They will want 
their rifles back, and will not be particular what method 
they take to secure them.” 

“ I don’t think they’ll come back here for ’em,” said 
Benner. “ It will be a blamed sight easier for ’em t’ 
steal ’em whar they ain’t watchin’ fer ’em.” 

“ That’s right,” said Hamilton. “ I don’t imagine 
they are very particular whom they rob.” 

“ Well,” said the General, firmly, “ we’ll make sure 
that they don’t rob us again.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 285 

That fellow, Bowfus, swore he hadn’t taken our 
canoes,” said Hamilton, “ but I fancied I saw a look 
pass between him and one of his men, that gave his 
words the lie.” 

“ He couldn’t tell th’ truth if he tried,” said Benner. 

Where do you think those stolen canoes are, Sol ? ” 
asked the General, turning to the Indian. 

‘‘ Me think on Eagle Lake,” was the prompt reply. 

‘‘ That’s a big body of water,” said the General, 
dubiously. It would be a good deal like hunting 
for a needle in a haystack to look for them there.” 

‘‘Me findum,” said the Indian, confidently. 

The party soon after retired again, Jeffries volun- 
teering to stand guard. They were up, however, the 
first thing in the morning. 

“ I think. General,” said Warner, as they were eat- 
ing breakfast, “ that it might be a good thing to have 
Sol trail those fellows.” 

“ Do you think he could follow them ? ” asked the 
General. 

“ I know he could, replied Warner, confidently. “ I 
think I could follow them myself — at least through 
the black growth.” 

“ I want to go along with him,” said Norman, 
eagerly. 

“Well, Fred,” said the General, “I think you’ve 
made a valuable suggestion. You had better let Ben- 
ner finish up your work here and you and Norman 
can go along with Sol. You must be careful now and 


286 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


not get yourselves into trouble/’ he added, warningly. 

There’s never any trouble where Sol is,” returned 
Warner, with a laugh. 

‘‘ I am beginning to think that’s true,” said the 
General. ‘‘ At any rate, I must confess to a feeling 
of confidence about you and Norman, when he is with 
you.” 

“ Hello ! Here’s a visitor,” sang out Hamilton, who 
was standing in the doorway. The members of the 
party hastened out of the cabin just in season to see 
Ross Peters, the game warden, run his canoe upon the 
little beach. 

I came just as soon as I could,” he announced, as 
he pulled his canoe up on the shore. “ It was after 
dark last night when I got back. You’ve got them, 
have you ? ” 

“ We had them,” said the General, ‘‘ but they’ve 
gone.” 

“ Gone ? ” echoed the warden, blankly. 

“ Yes,” replied the General. “ They escaped last 
night.” 

“Too bad! too bad!” said Peters, regretfully. He 
pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, and stood 
looking at them a moment in silence. Then, with a 
sigh, he replaced them in his pocket. “ I’ve been 
carrying those for Eke Bowfus for some days past,” 
he said, “ and if I once get a chance to slip them on to 
him, he won’t get them off in a hurry.” 

“ Come into the camp,” said the General, hospitably. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


287 


‘‘ Thank you, I think I will,’’ said the warden, “ I 
want to hear all about it.” 

He entered the little cabin and sat before the open 
fire, while General Carver briefly related the circum- 
stances attending the capture and the escape of Bowfus 
and his men. 

“ They’re slippery customers,” he commented, at the 
conclusion of the General’s narrative, “ but, sooner or 
later, they will come to grief, as all such fellows do. 
I was in hopes to get them here, but all is, we must 
keep after them. I’m going to make the capture of 
that gang my business from this time on.” 

“ Well, we’ll do all we can to help you,” said the 
General, “ and I think I can assure you that if we get 
them again they’ll not get away from us so easily.” 

The warden went back to his canoe, bade the mem- 
bers of the party good-bye, and was soon lost to sight 
round the end of the island. 

‘‘And now for the trail,” said Norman, when he 
was ought of sight. 

“ I think you’d better let Benner go across with you 
and bring back the canoe,” said the General, as they 
were about to push off. 

“That’s an excellent idea,” said Norman. “Then 
we sha’n’t have to worry about the canoe.” 

Benner immediately took his place in the canoe with 
them, and with a few strong sweeps of their paddles 
he and the Indian drove the frail craft, to the opposite 
shore. 


288 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Wal, take keer o’ yerselfs,” said the veteran woods- 
man, as Sol and the boys stepped out upon the main- 
land. “Not a very blind trail at the start, Sol,” he 
added, pointing to the footprints in the soft soil, which 
showed very plainly where Bowfus and his men had 
scrambled up the steep bank. 

“ Good-bye, Jim,” said Norman. 

“ Good-bye, an’ good luck,” said the old woodsman, 
as he pushed his canoe from the shore and started back 
to the island. 

When he had gone, Sol and the boys hastily followed 
the trail of the fleeing outlaws up the bank. Without 
a moment’s hesitation, the Indian started briskly for- 
ward through the black growth. 

“Do you think he’s on the trail?” whispered Nor- 
man to Warner. 

“ Sure,” responded Fred, confidently. “ This is 
easy thus far. Why, even I could follow it.” 

“ I can’t see a thing,” confessed Norman. 

“ Well, you may rest assured that it’s just as plain 
as a turnpike to Sol,” said Warner. 

For a time the Indian held his way through the black 
growth. Presently he turned abruptly, and climbed 
the steep side of a hardwood ridge. 

“ This is a horseback,” explained Warner. “ One 
end of it makes the promontory that juts out into the 
Punch Bowl.” 

“ Looks just as if Nature had sliced it off with a 
big carving knife,” said Norman. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


289 


Obviously the trail had become more indistinct and 
difficult to follow through the hardwood growth ; 
but still the Indian pushed forward with scarcely a 
moment’s hesitation. 

For some time they held their course along the crest 
of the ridge, then, making their way down a steep 
declivity, they stood upon a small stretch of sandy 
shore and looked out upon a large sheet of water. 

** Eagle Lake,” announced the Indian. 

Some one has been here all right,” said Norman, 
pointing to the numerous footprints on this little stretch 
of shore. 

Landum place. Canoe here,” explained the Indian, 
pointing to some furrows in the sand and mud. 

“There’s been several of them here,” said Warner; 
“ but of course there’s no way of telling whether these 
furrows were made by the drawing up of different 
canoes, or the drawing up of the same canoe at differ- 
ent times.” 

“ At any rate,” said Norman, “ it looks as if this 
were the point from which Bowfus and his men came, 
when they made their raids on the island.” 

“ I reckon they must have their headquarters some- 
where on Eagle Lake,” said Warner. “ It’s too bad 
Sol can’t follow their trail on the water; if he could 
we’d have those canoes.” 

The Indian, squatted upon his heels, was critically 
examining some tracks that led along the shore of the 
lake. 


290 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ More trail,” he said. “ Wentum with load,” he 
added. 

“ Their heels certainly sank well into the mud,” said 
Warner, as his eye rested on the tracks. 

“We followum,” said the Indian. 

He moved rapidly along the shore, keeping a close 
watch of the tracks, Norman and Fred having about 
all they could do to keep up with him. 

“ Whew ! Fd rather chase a moose than you, Sol,” 
puffed Norman. 

The Indian paused, abruptly. “ Me go too fast ? ” 
he asked. 

“There isn’t any fire,” said Norman, but the refer- 
ence was lost on the Indian. 

“ No,” he said, innocently. “ We makeum one 
by-um-by.” 

He pushed on steadily, following up the new trail, 
and, presently, turned to his right and pushed his way 
up a broad gully, heavily grown with scrub firs. 

“A great hiding-place,” commented Warner, as he 
glanced about him. 

“ Yes, me t’ink so,” acquiesced the Indian. 

“ It doesn’t seem as if a man could ever be caught 
with so many places to hide in,” said Norman. 

“ He never would be,” returned Warner, “ if he 
could be contented to keep away from other men; but 
he can’t. Man is by nature a social being, and soli- 
tude is a punishment.” 

“ We findum ! ” exclaimed the Indian, triumphantly. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


291 


pushing his way into a fir thicket. The boys followed 
close behind him, and could not restrain a shout of joy 
when they came suddenly upon one of the missing 
canoes. It contained two paddles, and was evidently 
in readiness for immediate use. 

“ Hurrah ! ” shouted Norman. Good for you, 
Sol!’^ 

“ I reckon we can have a little trip on Eagle Lake 
now, if we want one,’’ said Warner. 

“ We go,” said the Indian. He at once turned the 
canoe bottom side up, and threw it over his shoulders, 
declining the proffered assistance of the boys. 

“ Me good for um,” he grunted, and at once started 
back with his burden towards the landing place they 
had recently left, Norman and Fred following after 
him with the paddles. 

A little later the Indian, with broad sweeps of the 
paddle, and assisted by Fred Warner, was driving the 
light craft swiftly over the waters of the lake. 

Several miles from the shore was a high wooded 
island towards which the Indian held his course. As 
they neared this island a canoe containing three men 
appeared suddenly around a high wooded point. 
Catching sight of the Indian and the boys, the men 
put about quickly, and paddled swiftly back in the 
direction from which they had come. 

‘‘There they are!” exclaimed Norman, excitedly. 
“ It’s Eke Bowfus and his men. Hurry up or we’ll 
lose them ! ” 


292 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


The Indian and Warner made their paddles fairly 
bend with the vigor of their quick, sweeping strokes, 
and the light canoe fairly flew over the water; but 
Bowfus and his men had a good start, and quickly 
disappeared from sight around the bend. 

Soon after the Indian and the boys rounded the 
point, but the missing canoe was nowhere to be seen. 

‘‘We’ve lost them! They’ve got away again!” 
exclaimed Norman, in a tone of bitter disappointment. 

“ Dey no go far,” said the Indian. 

Beyond the point a big curve in the island formed 
a good-sized bay. Back from this stretched a frown- 
ing front of heavy boulders and granite ledges. 

“We goum slow along the shore,” said the Indian. 

“ Looks as if they’d pulled out their canoe, and taken 
to the tall timber,” said Warner. 

“ I’ll bet that’s just what they’ve done,” agreed 
Norman. 

With easy sweeps of his paddle the Indian moved 
the canoe slowly around the circle of the little bay, 
keeping a sharp lookout along the shore. Presently 
he paused and ran the canoe upon a shelving ledge. 

“ Stopum here,” he said. 

“ You’re right, Sol,” said Norman, joyfully, point- 
ing to some footprints in the soft soil on top of the 
ledge. “ Here’s where they landed.” 

For some distance back from the shore the ledges 
stood bleak and bare. 

“ It’s pretty hard telling just where they went to,” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


293 


declared Warner. “ Men don’t leave much of a trail 
on this kind of a bottom.” 

“We findum,” said the Indian, in a tone of assur- 
ance. He straightened himself up, and took a long 
look at the surrounding ledges. Beyond them the 
seamy side of the island rose abruptly, in a succession 
of rugged ledges and boulders. 

“ It certainly doesn’t look as if they could have gone 
up there,” declared Norman. 

“ Not and carried a canoe,” agreed Warner. 

“ Seeum windin’ path,” said the Indian, pointing 
to a shelving way that led in and out among a suc- 
cession of mammoth boulders and wound its tortuous 
way up the side of the cliff. 

“Do you think they went there?” demanded War- 
ner. 

The Indian nodded. 

“ Rather sharp turns to get a canoe around,” com- 
mented Warner, doubtfully. 

“ Dey up dere,” said the Indian, confidently. 

“ If they are,” said Norman, “ it strikes me as a 
pretty hard place to get them out of.” 

“ Perhaps they haven’t any rifles,” said Warner, 
hopefully. 

“ I imagine they must have managed to pick up 
something that will shoot by this time,” said Norman. 
“ Even if they haven’t, they could make things uncom- 
fortable for us by rolling a few boulders down that 
narrow way.” 


294 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ And we could make it decidedly interesting for 
them with our rifles while they were doing it,” added 
Warner. 

Holding his rifle in the hollow of his arm, the Indian 
cautiously advanced along the narrow way. 

Jumpum ! ” he shouted suddenly, springing behind 
a projecting ledge. The boys had barely time to crowd 
in beside him when a big boulder came crashing down 
the narrow pathway and rolled, with a mighty splash, 
into the lake. 

Stay right whar ye air,” called a voice above them. 
“ It won't be healthy for ye to come any further.” 


CHAPTER XXV 


AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE OUTLAWS 

The Indian, evidently feeling that discretion was the 
better part of valor, and anxious for the safety of the 
boys, beat a hasty retreat, closely followed by Norman 
and Fred. 

“Well, what now?” demanded Norman, as they 
stood again on the shore of the lake beside their canoe. 

The Indian pointed to a gigantic ledge that loomed 
up some distance below where they were standing. 

“ You climbum top dere,” he said to Warner. “ Nor- 
man stay here with canoe. Me goin’ back.” 

“Oh, I see,” said Warner. “You think that from 
the top of that ledge I would be able to cover them 
in case they try to roll down any more rocks ? ” 

The Indian nodded. 

“ You shootum,” he said, grimly. 

“ I don’t know, Sol,” protested Warner. “ I con- 
fess that I haven’t much stomach when it comes to 
shooting a man.” 

“ You scareum,” said the Indian. 

“ All right,” said Warner, cheerfully. “ I reckon 
I can shoot close enough to do that.” 

He shouldered his rifle, and, a little later, Sol and 
295 


296 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Norman saw him climb slowly and carefully to the 
top of the big ledge. 

The Indian gave a grunt of satisfaction. 

“ Now me go back,” he said. 

“ Don’t take any chances, Sol,” begged Norman. 

Fred coverum,” said the Indian, confidently. 

** I don’t imagine they’ll think the stone-rolling game 
is altogether a summer picnic when the cold lead gets 
to rattling to around that cliff,” chuckled Norman. 

The Indian turned, and made his way briskly up 
the shelving path. He had gone but a shore distance 
when another big boulder came rolling down. The 
Indian dodged to one side just in season to clear it, 
and it continued rolling down into the lake, barely 
missing the canoe. 

Almost immediately there came the sharp crack of 
a rifle from the ledge where Warner was stationed, 
evidently causing no little consternation and alarm to 
Bowfus and his men. 

Hold on ! Hold on thar,” yelled the outlaw chief, 
in a startled voice. “ What air ye doin’ ? ” 

‘‘We are getting ready to provide a job for the 
undertaker, if you roll any more stones,” shouted Nor- 
man. 

“ Don’t ye go for t’ shoot. We don’t want no 
trouble,” whined Bowfus. 

“ if you roll any more stones down here you’re a 
dead man,” returned Norman. “ We’ve got you cov- 
ered.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


297 


‘‘ YeVe no cause fer t’ shoot/’ protested Bowfus. 

We don’t want no scrap.” 

“ Well, you seem to be hunting trouble all right,” 
returned Norman. 

There was no reply. Norman listened, anxiously, 
but heard no sound. Sol had disappeared from sight 
among the boulders and ledges of the winding path 
up the cliff, and a sudden panic of fear came upon the 
waiting boy lest some harm had befallen him. At 
length the silence, which was becoming oppressive, was 
broken by a voice from the cliff. 

“ All light,” shouted the Indian. 

“ Is the way clear? ” called Norman. 

‘‘ Yes, comeum ’long,” was the response. 

Norman lost no time in making his way up the 
narrow path which wound in and out among the ledges 
and boulders, and presently stood beside the Indian on 
the top of the cliff. 

“ Where are they ? ” he demanded. 

Gone,” said the Indian, laconically. 

“ Skipped us again,” said Norman, in disgust. But 
any way,” he added, with satisfaction, as his eye fell 
upon the second one of the missing canoes, which lay 
upon the top of the cliff, they didn’t have time to 
move their plunder.” 

“ Dey in heap big hurry,” said the Indian, with the 
faint suggestion of a smile on his grim features. 

From the top of the cliff the big ledges sloped away 
towards the center of the island into a dense black 


298 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


growth. As they were looking at this growth, in the 
faint hope of catching some glimpse of the fleeing out- 
laws, Fred Warner put in an appearance. 

“ Well, got away again, did they? ” he asked. 

Yes,” said Norman. “ They took to the tall tim- 
ber; but they left our other canoe here.” 

“ So they did,” said Warner, cheerfully. “ Well, we 
shall at least have something to show for our day’s 
work when we get back to the island.” 

“ I should feel a good deal better if we could take 
back Eke Bowfus and his men,” said Norman. 

‘‘ So should I,” agreed Warner, ‘‘ but I reckon 
they’re here all right. They can’t very well get away 
without a boat, and the water is too cold at this season 
of the year for a long swim.” 

“ Perhaps they’ll build a raft,” suggested Norman. 

‘‘No axe,” said the Indian. 

“ You are not sure of that, Sol,” said Norman, 
“ although I certainly hope you may be right about it.” 

“ I think I gave Bowfus the scare of his life,” said 
Warner, with a laugh. “ He was just leaning over 
the edge of the cliff to let that rock go down the wind- 
ing chute when I fired. The bullet came close enough 
to him to sing to him, and I tell you it straightened 
up his back hair. That was the first intimation they 
had that we had the drop on them, and I reckon they 
didn’t stand upon the order of their going, but went at 
once.” 

“ Outum sight when I come here,” said the Indian. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


299 


‘‘ They must have done some tall sprinting down 
those ledges/’ said Norman. 

“ They didn’t stop to look behind them,” chuckled 
Warner. 

“ All gone, me getum here,” said the Indian. 

“ Well,” said Norman, “ it looks as if about all that 
was left for us to do was to get these canoes back to 
the island, and tell what we’ve seen and heard.” 

“ I hope these fellows will be here when we all get 
back for the round-up,” said Warner. 

Dey be here,” said the Indian, confidently. “ Long 
swim,” he added, pointing across the wide stretch of 
water that intervened between the island and the heav- 
ily wooded mainland. 

Norman laughed. 

I have no fear of their trying to swim it, Sol,” he 
said. ‘‘ Even if they were all strong swimmers, which 
is very doubtful, they couldn’t get very far in this cold 
water, before they would be chilled through.” 

“ I’ve read of a fellow who does stunts in a tank of 
ice water,” said Warner, doubtfully. 

“ Yes,” replied Norman, “ he was at Keith’s this 
fall, but Eke Bowfus is no Mahoney.” 

“ I imagine such fellows are rare,” agreed Warner, 
but then, you know this fellow. Eke, is a little of 
everything.” 

“ He’s a good deal of an eel, at any rate,” said Nor- 
man, but I reckon we’ll soon get him where he can’t 
squirm away from us.” 


300 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


I should certainly take a good deal of satisfaction 
in seeing Ross Peters snap those handcuffs on him,” 
said Warner. 

“ Let’s get down canoe,” said the Indian, impatiently. 

“ All right, Sol,” returned Warner. “ I’ll take the 
bow and you can take the stern. Norman can carry 
our rifles.” 

I must protest,” said Norman, good-naturedly, 

against you and Sol picking out all the soft snaps 
for me. I feel entirely capable of lugging one end 
of that canoe myself.” 

“ We guides. You sport,” said the Indian. 

Oh, that’s the distinction, is it?” said Norman. 
“ Well, I serve notice that I won’t stand for it any 
longer. We’re all sports on this trip.” 

Warner and the Indian lifted the canoe to their 
shoulders and made their way slowly and carefully 
down the tortuous path, pausing now and then to lift 
their frail craft over obstructing boulders. 

‘‘ It’s surprising to me how those fellows got that 
canoe up there so quickly,” said Norman. 

“ Men will sometimes do surprising stunts when 
they’re in a hurry,” said Warner. 

At length the canoe was brought to the shore, and 
safely launched in the waters of the lake. 

“ What surprised me,” said Norman, was that 
Bowfus and his men should have left this canoe in 
condition for service. I should have expected them 
to at least punch a hole in it.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


301 


They were in too much of a rush and too badly 
rattled to think of it” 

“ Well, good-bye to Bowfus for a little while,'’ said 
Warner, as he pushed off. They held their course for 
the landing they had left on the mainland, towing the 
extra canoe behind. 

There’s one thing that was evident enough,” 
remarked Norman, as they were making their way 
over the smooth waters of the lake, “ Bowfus and his 
men didn’t have any guns.” 

They probably hadn’t had time to get them,” said 
W arner. 

That must be it,” agreed Norman. “ When I saw 
them in consultation that day in front of the camp on 
the bog island, where they had you and me shut up, 
they all had rifles. After that they stole ours. After 
that they got a rifle each from Peters and Umber. 
Now. we have ours both back and two others. It would 
look, therefore, as if they were still three rifles to the 
good.” 

‘‘ Mebbe they sellum,” suggested the Indian. 

‘‘ I don’t think so,” said Warner. The chances 
are that they have them hidden away somewhere.” 

Arriving at the mainland, the two canoes were drawn 
ashore and transferred over the ridge to the Punch 
Bowl. This time Norman would not be denied, and 
insisted upon doing his full share of the carry. 

The other members of the party were all down to 
meet them when they pulled up at the little stretch of 


302 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


sandy shore, which served Umber as a landing place. 
With them was Ross Peters, who had come over pur- 
posely to learn the result of Sol’s efforts to trail the 
outlaws. 

The reappearance of the missing canoes called forth 
a cheer, and a volley of questions. 

“ One at a time, please,” protested Norman, with a 
laugh. “ Come up to the cabin, and we’ll tell you all 
about it.” 

It was an interested group that, later, gathered about 
the open fire and listened to Norman’s story of what 
had befallen himself, Warner and the Indian, in their 
pursuit of the outlaws. 

“ A good day’s work,” said the General, heartily, at 
the conclusion of Norman’s story. 

“ Bully for you ! ” exclaimed Lord Matterson, with 
enthusiasm. 

‘‘ The wicked may prosper for a time, but adversity 
overtakes them in the end,” said Umber, oracularly. 

‘‘ I should hev felt a pesky sight better if Fred hed 
shot a little closer,” grumbled Benner. 

“ What a bloodthirsty fellow you are, Jim,” said 
Hamilton, with a laugh. “ It’s easy enough to talk 
about shooting a man, but you would be about the last 
fellow on earth who would want to do it.” 

“ I won’t say but what ye air right,” conceded Ben- 
ner. “ Still, I don’t think them critters would be 
entirely safe if I hed a bead on ’em.” 

“ Well,” said Peters, rising abruptly. ‘‘ It really 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


303 


looks as if we finally had those fellows where we can 
lay our hands on them. Good-night.” 

Where are you going? ” asked the General 

‘‘ Over to that island,” responded Peters. 

‘‘ I don’t think you would gain anything by going 
to-night,” said the General. It would be pitch dark 
by the time you got there. You’d better camp right 
here with us to-night, and we’ll all yo over in the 
morning.” 

‘‘ Thet’s the idee, Ross,” added Benner. 

The warden hesitated. “ I don’t mind saying that 
your invitation tempts me,” he said, “ but I cannot 
help worrying for fear those fellows may get away. 
They’ve wiggled out of so many tight places that I 
don’t like to take any chances with them.” 

‘‘No getum away, dere,” said the Indian. 

“ Well, I reckon I’ll stop with you,” said the warden. 

Soon after they all sat down to a hot supper which 
Fred Warner, despite his hard day’s jaunt, insisted on 
preparing for them. 

“ I think we will have those canoes hauled up here 
by the cabin where we can guard them,” announced the 
General, at the conclusion of the meal. 

“ I reckon we’ve no need of a guard now thet Eke 
Bowfus an’ his men air whar they can’t trouble us,” 
said Benner. 

“ I don’t know about that,” returned the General. 
“ We have gone upon the assumption that Eke Bowfus 
and his men have been responsible for about all the 


304 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


mischief that’s been done in this section. That may- 
be true. Still, it wouldn’t be entirely safe to proceed 
upon that theory. There may be others.” 

‘‘ Sartin, sartin,” conceded Benner, but I don’t 
believe it.” 

“ I’m inclined to think Jim is right,” said Hamilton. 
‘‘ I fancy. General, that our canoes are as safe as they 
would be if they were locked up in your office vault. 
Still it will do no harm to keep a guard. It’s always 
well enough to be on the safe side.” 

** I’ll guard the things,” volunteered Jeffries. 

Well, you can do so the first part of the night,” 
said the General, “ and after that I’ve no doubt Mr. 
Benner will be glad to relieve you.” 

Sartin,” agreed the old woodsman. ‘‘ Fit me in 
anywhar I kin make myself useful.” 

Soon after the members of the party were sound 
asleep in the little cabin, and although Jeffries and 
Benner kept weary vigil through the night, nothing 
occurred to disturb their slumbers. 

All were astir before daylight in the morning making 
preparations for their trip to the island. 

All three of the available canoes were pressed into 
service, Peters using his own. 

“ I’ll slip on ahead,” he said, as the party started. 

I think I had better go down to the lower end of the 
island and work up towards the cliff side.” 

You’d better take Jeffries along with you to guard 
your canoe,” said the General. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


305 


That’s a good suggestion/’ agreed the warden. 
“ It would be just like them to slip in behind me, and 
run away with it.” 

‘‘ Forewarned is forearmed,” said the General. “ We 
mustn’t leave any loophole for them this time.” 

The trip down the Punch Bowl was soon completed, 
after which came the slow and arduous task of trans- 
porting the canoes across the ridge to the waters of 
Eagle Lake. Once afloat again, all drew long breaths 
of relief, and the party moved towards the densely 
wooded island, whose rocky headland stood out bleak 
and bare in the morning light, with the feeling that the 
race of Eke Bowfus and his misguided followers was 
nearly run. 

A landing was made at the point where Sol and the; 
boys had made their landing the day before. By com- 
mon consent, General Carver was recognized, as indeed 
he had been ever since the party had left the Sebois 
region, as the commander of the expedition. 

In single file they followed the lead of Sol Soc up 
the stony path that wound its tortuous way in and out 
among the boulders and ledges, and, with exclamations 
of wonder and surprise, stood at length upon the brow 
of the cliff. Below them lay the blue waters of the 
lake, while in front of them the ledges sloped gradu- 
ally away into the heavy black growth that covered 
the greater part of the island. 

All recognized that the hunt was on, and, with one 
accord, they turned to General Carver for instructions. 


CHAPTER XXVI 


THE RECAPTURE OF THE BOWFUS GANG 

‘‘ This island possesses many advantages for a hid- 
ing-place,” said the General, slowly, ‘‘ and it may not be 
altogether easy to find our men. We must go about 
our work in a systematic way. Whatever territory 
we go over, let us inspect it thoroughly. This island, 
with all its dense timber growth, is not large enough 
to furnish Bowfus and his men concealment for any 
great length of time, if we go about our work in the 
right way. I would suggest that we spread out a 
short distance apart, and work through the black 
growth from the open space, made by the outcropping 
of these ledges, to the shore. In that way we can 
circle round the island.” 

‘‘They may leave the black growth and climb the 
ledges to the cliff,” suggested Norman. 

“ So much the better if they do,” said the General. 
“ They’ll be in the open then.” 

“ I reckon they’ll stick to cover jest es long es they 
can,” said Benner. 

“ Sol might take one side of this island, and the rest 
of us the other,” suggested Warner. 

“ I think that wouldn’t be an unfair division,” said 
306 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


307 


the General, with a smile ; but we’ll put him on the 
further end of the line. That will bring him next the 
lake shore all the way around the island, and we need 
specially sharp eyes there.” 

“ Perhaps he can trail them,” suggested Warner, 
hopefully. “ Sol is a master hand at that.” 

“ If he can, so much the better,” said the General. 
“ Go ahead, Sol.” 

The Indian started promptly into the black growth 
which had furnished a hiding-place for the outlaws, 
and, presently, gave a grunt of satisfaction as he picked 
up their trail. He moved forward at a brisk walk, 
closely followed by the others. 

Lord Matterson looked puzzled. Do you mean to 
tell me,” he asked Warner, in an incredulous tone, 
“ that the Indian is actually following the track*?, cf 
these fellows ? ” 

‘‘ He’s certainly trailing them,” replied Warner. 

“ Are you sure he isn’t bluffing us ? ” persisted the 
Englishman. “ Really, don’t you know, I can’t see 
the first sign of any one’s having passed this way.” 

‘‘ Sol couldn’t bluff if he tried to,” returned Warner. 
‘‘ He’s certainly following the trail of Bowfus and his 
men. Why, that’s plain enough here for me to see it, 
and I’m not in Sol’s class for a minute.” 

“ You certainly amaze me,” confessed the English- 
man, as Sol paused on the bank of a small brook that 
ran through the black growth. 

‘‘ I reckon he’s lost the trail,” said Warner. 


3o8 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


There was a look of disgust and chagrin on the 
Indian’s dark features. 

“ Dey wadeum de brook,” he announced. 

“ I was suspectin’ thet was what we was a-comin’ 
to,” said Benner. I figgered they’d git t’ runnin’ 
water jest es soon es they could. They knowed mighty 
well thet Sol would find ’em if they didn’t.” 

“ So the trail is lost, is it ? ” questioned the General. 

The Indian nodded. 

“Ye see,” explained Benner, “ we can’t tell whether 
they followed th’ brook up or down. They may hev 
waded it clear down to the lake, an’ then waded along 
the lake shore a spell. Ole Eke Bowfus is wuss ’n a 
fox.” 

“ I don’t see,” said the General, “ but that we’ll have 
ii) go back to our original plan. We will form a line 
across this stretch of woods, and advance together.” 

In a short time the line was formed, with Sol Soc 
on the end nearest the lake shore, and General Carver 
on the other. The members of the party were well 
spread out, each one taking a fairly wide space to 
himself. The advance was slow and careful. It had 
gone but a short distance when a grunt of surprise 
from the Indian drew all the members of the party 
around him, on a short stretch of shelving beach. 

“ Try to makeum raft,” explained the Indian, as the 
members of the party gathered about him. There was 
indeed evidence that Bowfus and his men, in their 
desperation, had undertaken this method of escape. A 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


309 


nondescript collection of driftwood lay piled up on the 
little beach, its different parts being rudely tied together 
with birch withes. 

‘‘ Doesn't look very seaworthy," commented Ham- 
ilton. 

“ Lucky for them we scared 'em away afore they 
finished it," said Benner. “ It wouldn't 'a' held 
together long enough to have gone half way over t' th' 
mainland." 

‘‘ The very fact that they were willing to risk their 
lives on such a makeshift shows how desperate they 
are," said Warner. 

“ Oh, they're ready t' take long chances all right," 
agreed Benner. 

Can you trail them from here, Sol ? " asked the 
General. 

“ No," replied the Indian, They wadeum the lake." 

“ Oh, never ye fear. Eke Bowfus is up t' all o' th' 
tricks," said Benner. 

Once more the line was re-formed, and moved stead- 
ily forward through the black growth. 

‘‘ There they are ! " shouted Lord Matterson, sud- 
denly. “ Hi, there ! hold on there or I'll shoot." 

The Englishman raced madly through the woods, 
closely followed by the others, who had closed in upon 
him rapidly in response to his call. 

They finally overtook him, on the top of a mossy 
knoll, very red in the face and puffing furiously. “ I 
started them," he gasped. 


310 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ Air ye sure on it ? ” questioned Benner, dubiously. 

“ Sure of it ! Of course I am ! ” responded the 
Englishman, impatiently. “ I saw that fellow, Bow- 
fus, as plainly as I do you.’^ 

“ Where did he go ? ’’ asked the General. 

“ The last glimpse I got of him, he was dodging in 
behind that big tree,’^ said the Englishman, pointing to 
a towering hemlock that stood a short distance away. 
“ After that I lost sight of him.’^ 

The Indian hastened to the hemlock. 

‘‘ Him track here. Me trailum,” he announced. 

He turned and came back towards them, forcing his 
way into a clump of thick-growing firs. 

Him come here,^' he said. 

“ Doubled back on us, sure es preachin’ ! ” exclaimed 
Benner, in a tone of disgust. 

“ I don’t think so,” protested the Englishman. ‘‘ I’m 
very sure I looked into that clump of firs.” 

‘‘ Nevertheless thet’s whar they passed ye,” said 
Benner. “ They air behind us now,” he added. “ Our 
line ain’t wuth a tinker.” 

“ Follow them up, Sol,” said the General. 

The Indian came out from the firs and moved rapidly 
in the direction from which the party had come. 

“ I knowed it ! ” exclaimed Benner. ‘‘ They’ve gin 
us th’ slip.” 

“There’s no occasion to get discouraged,” said the 
General. “ We’ve found them once, and I’m confident 
we can do it again.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


311 

It’s at least some satisfaction to know that they 
are still on the island,” said Hamilton. 

“ Who’s guarding the canoes? ” asked Norman, sud- 
denly. 

Mr. Umber,” said the General. “ He had a rifle, 
and will certainly make matters interesting for any one 
who attempts to meddle with them.” 

‘‘ He’s feeling in the mood to shoot Eke Bowfus,” 
said Warner. 

“ He certainly has no occasion to have any love for 
him,” asserted Hamilton. 

Meanwhile the Indian was rapidly following up the 
trail of the fleeing outlaws. Finally he stopped non- 
plussed on the banks of the little brook where he had 
lost the trail before. 

“ Dished agin ! ” exclaimed Benner, mournfully. 

“ Me think dey go up stream,” said the Indian, 
presently. 

‘‘ Thet’s evident enough,” said Benner. “ Th’ water’s 
still runnin’ roily where they ^waded it.” 

Come ’long,” said the Indian. 

He started briskly up the bank of the brook. He 
had gone but a short distance before he stopped short 
with a grunt of satisfaction. 

Got their trail agin, hev ye ? ” asked Benner. 

Come ’long,” repeated the Indian. 

He led the way rapidly through the black growth 
and presently emerged upon the bare and sombre ledges 
that sloped back from the cliff. Here the trail was 


312 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


faint, and the Indian was obliged to move slowly, 
although the wet feet, which the outlaws had secured 
in wading the brook, made it easier to follow them 
than would otherwise have been the case. 

“ They’ve gone back to their old haunts,” announced 
Warner. 

“ I imagine they are hoping to jump one of our 
canoes,” said Norman. 

Warner was about to reply when the members of 
the party were startled by a volley of rifle shots on the 
lake shore below the cliff. 

Crack ! crack ! crack ! came the short, spiteful reports, 
and a moment later three men came over the brow of 
the cliff on a sharp run. 

A shout of triumph went up from the members of 
the party, as they recognized Bowfus and his men. 

‘‘ Halt ! ” commanded the General, sharply ; but 
Bowfus and his companions paid no heed to him. 
They ran swiftly in a quartering course down the sharp 
slope of the ledges, with the evident purpose of making 
the black growth on the opposite side of the island. 
They had nearly reached this heavy belt of timber when 
they encountered a most unexpected setback. 

From behind a big tree at the edge of the woods 
stepped Ross Peters, looking stern and determined. 
His rifle was at his shoulder, and his voice rang clear 
and cold. 

“ Stop right where you are, or you’re a dead man,” 
he said. 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


313 


Don’t, don’t shoot,” gasped Bowfus, as he and his 
companions hastened to comply with the warden’s 
command. 

'' I want you to understand distinctly. Eke Bowfus,” 
said Peters, sternly, ‘‘ that I’m all through fooling with 
you. I’m not at all particular whether I take you out 
of here on your two feet or in a box ; but you’re coming 
right away — dead or alive.” 

By this time General Carver and the members of his 
party, who had been approaching rapidly, arrived on 
the scene and closed in on the discomfited outlaws. 

“ I give it up,” whined Bowfus. “ We’re all in.” 

Hold out your hands,” commanded the warden, 
sharply. 

“ You air not a-goin’ to iron us, air ye? ” demanded 
Bowfus. 

‘‘ That’s precisely what I’m going to do,” said 
Peters, sternly. 

‘^Ye guessed it, th’ fust time,” chuckled Benner. 

We’ll go along peaceable. We won’t try t’ git 
away,” protested Bowfus. 

Hold out your hands,” repeated the warden, coldly, 
and, with a muttered curse, Bowfus hastened to comply. 
There was an ominous click as the handcuffs closed 
upon his wrists, and his two companions, who appeared 
to be utterly cowed and crestfallen, were also obliged 
to submit to the same treatment. To add to their dis- 
comfort, the warden produced a long piece of chain 
with which it connected their handcuffs, making it 


314 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


impossible for one of them to get away without drag- 
ging the others. 

“ There ! said Peters, when he had completed this 
task. “ Now you look about right to me.” 

/‘You’d better take these men back to our camp 
to-night, Mr. Peters,” said the General. 

“ Perhaps that would be best,” agreed the warden. 

“ You are not going to take them out alone, are 
you?” 

“ I suppose ril have to,” replied Peters. ‘‘ It looks 
as if it were up to me.” 

“ ril let you have Sol, if you’d like him,” said the 
General. “ I’m just as anxious to see these men landed 
in jail as you are.” 

“ Id be mighty glad to have him,” said the warden, 
eagerly. “ If he were with me we could make easy 
work of this job; but I can’t think of it,” he added, 
with a shake of his head. “ You are too generous. 
You’ll need him on your return trip.” 

“We can get along very well without him, with 
Warner and Benner to show us the way,” said the 
General, “ and I shall insist that he go along with 
you.” 

“ You are certainly very kind,” said the warden, 
“ and I appreciate it. I hope I may be able to do as 
much for you sometime.” 

“ You can’t do anything that would please us more 
than to put this bunch of rascals behind the bars,” said 
the General. 



There was an ominous click as the handcuffs closed upon 

HIS WRISTS. — Page 313 




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THE YOUNG GUIDE 


315 


If I don’t accomplish that much, I’ll never show 
my face in this country again,” said the warden, 
earnestly. 

In single file the prisoners were marched over the 
face of the cliff down the winding runway to the shore, 
where they found Umber guarding the canoes. A 
smile of triumph lit up his pale face at the sight of the 
prisoners. 

Righteousness shall triumph in the end ! ” he 
exclaimed, solemnly. 

‘‘Tried to jump a canoe, did they. Uncle Dave?” 
asked Benner. 

“ Yes, they told me they were going to take one,” 
replied Umber ; “ but I told them to go back where 
they came from. They started to come down where 
I was; but I opened fire upon them, and they fled. 
Verily,” he added, “ ‘ the wicked flee when no man 
pursueth.’ ” 

“ I reckon ye made them air bullets sing to ’em a 
bit,” said Benner. “ They appeared t’ be in a power- 
ful hurry when they came over the cliff, as though they 
didn’t like yer comp’ny.” 

There was a wait of half an hour at the landing 
place while Norman hastened to the lower end of the 
island to bring up Jeffries with the warden’s canoe, 
after which the party started back to camp with their 
prisoners. 

“ I’ve wondered, Fred,” said Norman, as they were 
making their way from the island to the mainland, 


3i6 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ just where those fellows were going when we spotted 
them yesterday.” 

I reckon they were coming back after that canoe 
they hid in the woods,” said Warner. “ The pains 
they’ve been to in covering up their tracks shows that 
they fully appreciate Sol’s abilities as a trailer.” 

“ They certainly have good reason to,” said Norman. 

It was nearly dusk when the party finally reached 
the little camp on the island in the Punch Bowl. 

The task of guarding the prisoners was turned over 
to Sol and Benner; but the warden insisted on sharing 
their vigils. 

“ I never expect to get another night’s rest until those 
fellows are off my hands,” he said. 

“ You don’t want to kill yourself in the effort,” 
remonstrated Hamilton. 

“ Oh, I’ve had such stunts before,” said the warden, 
lightly. 

Immediately after the arrival of the party in camp, 
Warner had busied himself with preparations for sup- 
per, and the blaze from the big open fire was lighting 
up the little room with its warmth and cheer, when 
the party gathered about the table to do full justice 
to the ample meal he had prepared for them. 

“ I’ve got a new plan, boys,” announced the General, 
as they sat about the table. 

“What’s that?” asked Norman. 

“ We’ll all go back to Sebois bridge in the morning. 
That will give us all a chance to assist Mr, Peters in 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


317 


guarding his prisoners over the most difficult part of 
the journey, and Sol can go on with him from Larry 
Hunt’s/’ 

“ That’s a mighty good scheme,” declared Norman, 
heartily, and the others echoed their approval. 

“ I shall hate to see you go,” said Umber, mourn- 
fully. 

“ We’ve certainly enjoyed your hospitality,” said the 
General. 

Your coming saved my life,” said the hermit, grate- 
fully. 

We did git along in th’ nick o’ time,” agreed 
Benner. 

It would soon have been too late,” said the hermit, 
with a lugubrious shake of his head. 

You ought not to be alone here, Mr. Umber,” said 
the General. 

“ I know it,” agreed the hermit ; “ but what other 
way is there ? ” 

“ Perhaps we may find one,” responded the General, 
enigmatically. 


CHAPTER XXVI 


THE RETURN TO THE SEBOIS 

Early the next morning the camp was astir with 
preperations for the return to Sebois Bridge. While 
Warner was getting breakfast, General Carver im- 
proved the opportunity to take a walk with Jeffries 
in the rear of the camp. 

“ I reckon th’ Gen’ral an’ Bill air plottin’ suthin’,” 
remarked Benner. ‘‘ They’ve ben es thick es two peas 
in a pod all th’ mornin’.” 

A little later he glanced out of the window in season 
to see the General taking a similar walk with Umber, 
who was talking and gesticulating earnestly. 

By gum ! ” he said, this ’ere plot is thickenin’. 
They’ve gone an’ roped Uncle Dave into it. Th’ ole 
man is pitched in high G.” 

“ And how high is that, pray ? ” inquired Lord Mat- 
terson. 

“ Higher’n Englishmen ever get,” responded Benner. 

“ Don’t scrap! ” admonished Norman. Remember 
that England and America are now at peace.” 

We was simply a-passin’ round th’ compliments 
o’ th’ season,” explained Benner. 

“ Well, we’ll forgive you if you’ll get us a pail of 
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319 


spring water/’ said Warner. Whereupon Benner seized 
the pail that sat on the end of the sink, and left the 
camp. 

‘‘ One thing about Jim that’s to his credit is the fact 
that he’s always a willing worker,” commented Nor- 
man, when the veteran woodsman was out of hearing. 

‘‘ Benner likes to grumble a little, and occasionally 
he is tempted into playing a practical joke; but he’s 
true blue just the same,” said Warner. 

He’s certainly very loyal to his friends,” agreed 
Norman. 

“Supper!” shouted Warner, in stentorian tones, a 
moment later, and, with joke and merry comment, the 
members of the party were speedily gathered about the 
steaming table. 

“ I have an announcement to make,” said the Gen- 
eral, when they were all in their places. 

“ At my very earnest suggestion, Jeffries has decided 
to remain here with Mr. Umber, at least until next 
spring.” 

“ Hi might jest as well be ’ere as anywhere,” said 
Jeffries. 

“ Good fer ye. Bill,” said Benner. “ It’s jest th’ 
place fer ye. It’ll be a help to Dave an’ a help to 
you.” 

“ Hi never was much of a ’ousekeeper,” said Jef- 
fries, soberly, “ but I fancy me an’ th’ ole man ’ll get 
along bloomin’ well.” 

“ I’ve no doubt of it,” said the General, heartily. 


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‘‘ How did you bring it about, father?’’ asked Nor- 
man, in a low tone, as he followed the General out of 
doors after breakfast. 

“ Well,” confessed the General, I offered Jeffries 
a little something in the way of an inducement.” 

“ I suspected as much,” said Norman. 

“ It would never have done to leave that poor old 
man alone through the winter,” said the General. 
“ Jeffries appears to be a good-tempered, willing sort 
of a fellow, and he has given me his solemn word that 
he will look after Umber to the best of his ability. 
I think they will get along famously together.” 

“ The arrangement is certainly a great relief to me,” 
confessed Norman. “ I’d worried quite a little about 
leaving Dave alone here.” 

Out in the workshop the three prisoners were eating 
their breakfast, as well as they could with their man- 
acled hands, under the watchful oversight of Sol Soc 
and Ross Peters. 

“ Seems t’ me ye might et least unlock these irons 
while a feller is eatin’ of his breakfast,” complained 
Bowfus. “ I reckon ye wouldn’t let us git very far, 
with them rifles in yer hands, even if we should try 
t’ git away — which we haven’t any notion of doin’.” 

“ No,” returned the warden with emphasis. ‘‘ I 
sha’n’t take off those handcuffs, and you’ll have to 
make the best of it.” 

“ I think you are right, Mr. Peters,” said General 
Carver, who had entered the shop in season to hear 


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what the warden said. “ You can’t afford to take any 
chances with these fellows.” 

“ I deserve better treatment ’n this from th’ Peters 
family,” complained Bowfus. “ I stole them deer fer 
yer brother.” 

“ That’s a lie,” returned the warden, hotly. 

“ It’s mighty easy t’ call a man a liar, when his hands 
air tied,” sneered Bowfus, “ but I’m tellin’ ye th’ truth. 
I sold them deer I stole to your brother. Gusty. I got 
’em t’ feed his men.” 

“ I found out by mere accident,” said the warden, 
“ that he had had some dealings with you. He admits 
that he bought five deer of you; but he says he never 
dreamed for a moment but what you shot them your- 
self. He’s too old a woodsman to approve of anyone 
meddling with another man’s game.” 

“ How many deer did he say he’d bought o’ me ? ” 
demanded Bowfus. 

Five.” 

Ha ! ha ! ha ! ” laughed the outlaw. “ Why, I’ve 
sold him more’n forty.” 

“ He is positive that he only bought five, and is 
corroborated by Jasper and the cook.” 

“ Jasper an’ th’ cook,” repeated Bowfus, in a sneer- 
ing tone. “ Echoes — both on ’em. Gusty’ll lie, an’ 
they’ll swear to it.” 

‘‘ I reckon their testimony will go nearly as far as 
yours,” said the warden, coldly. “ The law allows you 
and your men to kill six deer. He admits that he 


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bought five of you, which is within the legal number. 
I don’t want you to think, General Carver,” he con- 
tinued, “ that I approve of my brother’s action in this 
matter. He should never have had any dealings with 
this cheap fellow. I think he honestly regrets it now; 
but it is difficult enough at best for a boss to keep the 
men in his yarding crew, and the temptation is always 
strong to add the inducement of fresh venison to the 
bill of fare. My brother is not the only one who has 
bought deer of this fellow. I find that he has peddled 
them all through the Allegash region, not only to the 
yarding crews, but also to some of the sporting camps, 
on the sly, for not all the proprietors of such places 
are as square men as Larry Hunt.” 

‘‘ I don’t see that this is a question that specially 
concerns us now,” said the General. “ Your brother 
swears, and is corroborated by witnesses, that he has 
only bought five deer of these men, which is one less 
than they were entitled to kill under the law. That 
ought to settle it, as against the assertions of these 
fellows, whose statements are certainly not entitled to 
much weight.” 

“ I reckon it’ll have to,” said the warden. 

A little later the members of the party paddled away 
from the little island on their return trip to Larry 
Hunt’s place. Jeffries and Umber stood at the little 
landing and waved their hands to them until they 
passed from sight around the lower end of the island. 
Sol and Peters were together in the long canoe that 


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323 


belonged to the warden, with the three prisoners 
wedged in between them. Warner and Norman han- 
dled the second canoe, in which was General Carver, 
while Hamilton and Benner handled the paddles in the 
third canoe, with Lord Matterson for a passenger. It 
was still somewhat in advance of noon when the mem- 
bers of the party finally got their canoes from the dead 
water down to the logging-road, that wound its way 
along the valley of the brook to Chamberlain Lake. 
Still, in view of the long trip ahead of them, the Gen- 
eral decided that it would be well to stop and eat 
dinner at that point before proceeding any further. 
The meal was rendered more enjoyable by a fine mess 
of lake trout which Sol Soc caught and contributed to 
the occasion. 

The prisoners ate their meal in moody silence, sul- 
lenly refusing to be drawn into conversation. 

The afternoon was well advanced when the party 
reached the foot of Telos Lake, and here they decided 
to camp for the night in an old lumber camp that stood 
near the shore. The old boughs were cleaned out of 
the bunks and replaced with fresh ones, and soon a 
blazing fire was burning in the big Franklin stove that 
stood in the center of the camp. Out in the cook’s 
room, Fred Warner was busily engaged in preparing 
a good hot supper over the old cook-stove that still 
remained there. 

After supper, Sol and Benner smoked their pipes 
reflectively upon the deacon seat, while all the mem- 


324 THE YOUNG GUIDE 

bers of the party, except the three prisoners, who lay 
moodily on the bunk under the watchful eyes of the 
warden, were gathered for warmth and good cheer. 

‘‘ Dis good bear country,” grunted Sol. “ Me seeum 
lot tracks to-day.” 

“ I reckon ye saw more tracks then ye did bars,” 
returned Benner. “ It’s amazin’ what spry critters 
they air et keepin’ out o’ th’ way. Much es I’ve 
tramped th’ woods. I’ve never caught sight o’ more’n 
half a dozen on ’em outside o’ traps.” 

“ I suppose you’ve trapped a lot of them, Jim,” said 
Norman, scenting a story. 

“ Bless ye, boy,” said the old woodsman, “ I can’t 
begin t’ count th’ number I’ve got that way.” 

He paused and puffed vigorously at his pipe for a 
moment, in meditative silence. 

‘‘ There was a p’int made out in Grand Lake,” he 
said, presently, “ where me an’ Jed Engle ketched six 
one summer. I alius thought it was a sort o’ coolin’- 
off place fer ’em. 

“We kept our trap sot right through th’ summer, 
an’ I remember well a-visitin’ it with Jed one hot 
August day. We found about th’ biggest black bar 
I ever seen in it. I tell ye he was a bouncer. We hed 
our trap hitched t’ a small fir tree, an’ he’d gnawed 
thet so hard thet he’d broken off th’ top. Then he’d 
walked round thet stump until he hed the chain wound 
up around it, an’ thar he stood, swayin’ back an’ forth, 
hitched up so tight thet he couldn’t move very far to 


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325 


one side or th’ other. His tongue hung out. His eyes 
were bloodshot an' he was a-pantin’ from th' heat like 
er big dog. I noticed thet his muzzle was covered by 
a swarm o’ flies which were evidently a-makin' life 
miserable fer 'im. I don't know t' this day whatever 
possessed me t' do it — but I was young then an' liked 
to show off — so I walked straight up t' thet bar, 
a-thinkin’ he was ketched tight. 

“ ‘ Wal, ole feller,' I ses, ‘ air th' flies a-pesterin' of 
ye ? ' an' with thet I fetched 'im a good sound slap 
side th' face." 

“ That ought to have put some ginger into him," 
said Warner, with a laugh. 

By hokey, it did," said Benner — a good deal 
more than I counted on. When I fetched 'im thet 
cuff he let out a terrible growl an' riz right up on his 
hind legs. I tell ye he looked es high es a house. He 
come up so strong thet the bunch o' chain thet was 
wound round th' fir stump slipped right off over th' 
top on it. With thet' th' bar made one lunge forward 
an' reached fer me. Oh, I kin tell ye he wanted me 
mighty bad. I ducked away es quick es I could, but 
he got his claws in th' front o' th' blue woolen shirt 
I wore, an' tore it clear off. He also left th' marks 
of his claws across my breast. If he could hev reached 
erbout two inches further I shouldn't be here to-night 
t' tell erbout it. Es it wus, I scrambled out of his 
reach erbout th' scartest boy in Maine." 

Benner paused and smoked a moment in silence. 


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“ Thet air experience lamed me a lesson/’ he resumed 
presently, “ an’ you may bet I hain’t tried t’ be facetious 
with a bar sence.” 

“ That kind of familiarity is very apt to breed con- 
tempt,” said Hamilton. 

“ It’s never safe to assume that you have a bear hung 
up,” said the game warden. ‘‘ They are very strong 
animals, and are quite liable to get away when you 
least expect them to. I had one trapped up on Muskrat 
Pond that came very near making an end of me. The 
clog had caught between two trees, and was, to all 
appearances, holding him fast. I came up from behind 
and fired at him, inflicting a severe but not fatal wound. 
With that he turned about sharply in his tracks and 
came after me. Of course when he did that he released 
the clog and left him free to follow me. I tell you, 
it was mazing the speed that fellow showed, hampered 
as he was. I had foolishly given him my last cartridge, 
so there was nothing left for me to do but to run for 
it. I could almost feel his hot breath on my back. At 
last I tumbled over a big deadfall. Just as I did so 
he reached for me, and tore my coat off from my back. 
I have no doubt he would have finished me right then 
and there if the young man who was with me hadn’t 
come to my assistance, and finished him with a shot 
from his Winchester.” 

By the way,” said Benner, ‘‘ Lord Matterson here 
is an authority on bars. I move that he tells us how 
he entertained the cubs.” 


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327 

‘‘ I never entertained them/’ said the Englishman, 
very red in the face, but joining somewhat ruefully in 
the laugh that followed Benner’s suggestion. “ They 
entertained me.” 

They are certainly pretty rough playfellows,” said 
Hamilton. 

“ I have a friend connected with the New York 
Zoological Gardens who I think would like to have 
them,” said the General. 

You’d better wire him about them when we get 
back to camp,” said Norman. “ That would be a good 
home for them. I don’t imagine Larry will care to 
bother with them, after we’ve gone, and no one of us 
could think of having them killed.” 

‘‘ I’ll attend to it just as soon as we get back,” said 
the General. 

The party was settling down for the night, and Nor- 
man was just beginning to doze on his fir bed, when 
he was brought upright by a weird sound from the 
woods back of the camp. 

“ Hear that child screaming out there ? ” he said. 

“ That’s no child,” sniffed Benner. “ It’s an Injun 
devil.” 

‘‘ In other words, a female cougar,” explained Ham- 
ilton. “ Their cry always sounds like a child in dis- 
tress.” 

“ Ye needn’t let it worry ye any,” said Benner. 
“ They’re cowardly critters, an’ never come nigh a 
fire.” 


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Fd give a good deal to shoot one,” said Norman. 
“ Wal, I don’t reckon ye’ll git a chance,” said Ben- 
ner. “ They air mighty rare in th’ Maine woods, an’ 
air seldom seen by hunters.” 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE GUIDES 

The members of the party were well tired out the 
following afternoon, when, just as the shadows were 
beginning to lengthen, they reached the foot of Grand 
Lake. Here they returned their canoes to the big log 
storehouse, where they had found them on their way 
up the lake country, and prepared to make the remain- 
der of their journey on foot. 

It will seem good to get back to spring beds again,’' 
remarked Norman to Fred, as they lay side by side 
on the long bough bunk. 

I’ll admit that they have their advantages,” said 
Warner. ‘‘If there’s one big bough in a woods bed, 
it’s almost sure to find your backbone.” 

The members of the party were up early in the 
morning and on their way to the Sebois region. Sol 
Soc, who led the way with the warden and the three 
prisoners, seemed strangely ill at ease. 

A number of times he stopped short and listened 
intently. Once he turned, and, leaving Peters alone 
with the three prisoners, flitted back through the woods, 
as silently as a ghost. 

“What, is there something brewing?” asked the 
329 


330 


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warden, uneasily, as the Indian stalked silently back. 

“ Me thinkum me hear voices,” said Sol. 

I reckon you’re mistaken,” said Peters. “ I have 
fairly keen ears, and I haven’t heard a thing.” 

“ Mebbe not,” said the Indian, doubtfully. 

“ I can’t think of any one who would be interested 
to help these fellows,” said the warden. 

“ I reckon we’ve got es many friends in these ’ere 
woods es you hev, fer all you think you’re so smart,” 
growled Bowfus, resentfully. 

I doubt it,” said Peters. 

I reckon I know what th’ men in th’ woods think 
o’ game wardens,” persisted Bowfus. ‘‘ Th’ guides 
hate ’em.” 

“ It is true enough,” said Peters, wearily, ‘‘ that we 
wardens encounter hostility and opposition among the 
very men whose interests we protect, and who should 
be the first to aid and sustain us ; but, notwithstanding 
that, we are all popular, compared with the men who 
steal sportsmen’s deer. I’ve wondered that some stray 
bullet didn’t take you off while you were in the Sebois 
country.” 

“ It’s one thing t’ talk erbout shootin’ of a man, an’ 
another thing t’ do it,” said Bowfus. ‘‘ Yer Man Fri- 
day here come th’ nighest t’ doin’ it. I felt his bullet 
singe th’ top o’ my hair.” 

“ Went lil too high,’ said the Indian, grimly. 

‘‘ Wal, I never thought ye’d ’a’ shed any tears if it 
had gone a little lower,” said Bowfus. “ I reckon 


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331 


ye’d ’a’ covered me up somewhar in th’ woods, an’ 
thought no more erbout it.” 

‘‘ Mebbe so,” said the Indian, briefly. 

It was late in the afternoon when the members of 
the party went into camp in the old lean-to at the foot 
of Bowlin Pitch. 

‘‘ Wal, here we air back in th’ edge o’ th’ Sebois 
kentry,” remarked Benner, as he busied himself with 
the big fire in front of the camp. 

And our prisoners are still with us,” said Norman, 
with a sigh of relief, as he glanced at Peters and the 
three men he was guarding. 

‘‘ It isn’t their fault they are still with us,” said 
Benner. “ They’d hev got away long ago if Ross had 
gin ’em half a chance.” 

“ Hello ! what’s this ? ” exclaimed Hamilton, sharply. 

Out of the thick growth of firs behind the camp, came 
a long file of masked men, each one of whom carried 
a rifle. In grim silence they surrounded the camp. 

The members of the party were startled and dis- 
turbed. The face of the warden paled visibly. 

“ What do you want? ” he demanded. 

“ We want Bowfus and his men,” answered the 
leader, firmly, an’ what’s more, we’re goin’ t’ hev 
’em.” 

They are my prisoners,” said Peters, sharply. 

I’m an officer of the law. You can’t have them.” 

What do you want of them ? ” asked Lord Mat- 
terson. 


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“ That’s our business/’ returned the leader, sternly. 
‘‘ I warn ye thet we sha’n’t stand for any interference 
from the royal family.” 

“Ye might jest as well hand ’em over, Ross,” said 
another of the newcomers. “We don’t mean any 
harm to you; but we’ve made up our minds t’ make 
an example o’ these fellers an’ ye can’t stop us.” 

“ What do you propose to do with them ? ” asked 
the General. 

“ That’s our business,” responded the leader, briefly. 
“We may flog ’em. We may hang ’em; but one thing 
is sartin, they won’t be in condition t’ steal any more 
deer when we git through with ’em.” 

“ Save me ! Save me ! ” shrieked Bowfus, in a 
tumult of fear, as he fell grovelling to the ground 
at the feet of the warden. “ Don’t let ’em hev me.” 

“ I alius knowed thet feller hed a yeller streak in 
’im,” muttered Benner, in a tone of disgust. 

“ Stand back there ! ” shouted the warden, sharply. 
“ I’ll shoot the first one of you that lays a hand on 
these men.” 

“ Don’t git woolly, Ross,” expostulated the leader. 
“We don’t want no trouble with you ; but you might 
es well understand thet we’re a-goin’ t’ take these men, 
right here an’ now.” 

“ If you do it will be over my dead body,” said 
Peters, firmly. 

“ Gentlemen,” said General Carver, stepping in front 
of the newcomers, who stood grim and determined 


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333 


just back of the big camp-fire, ‘‘ I must beg of you to 
let the law take its course. These men are on their 
way to prison. Mr. Peters has evidence enough in 
his possession to make it certain that the courts will 
deal severely with them. I beg of you not to inter- 
fere with the warden in the discharge of his sworn 
duty. You have absolutely nothing to gain by it. 
Let the law take its course.” 

“ We’d be glad t’ accommodate ye, Gen’ral,” said 
the leader, slowly, “ but we’ve reached th’ limit of our 
endurance. Perhaps th’ law may punish these ’ere 
men es ye say; but we’ve seen altogether too many 
sech fellers go clear. When we git through with ’em 
there won’t be no doubt erbout their bein’ punished. 
Wee’ll see thet they git all thet’s cornin’ t’ ’em.” 

‘‘ Save me ! Save me ! Don’t let ’em tetch me,” 
howled Bowfus. 

“ Shut up ! ” said Peters, sharply. ‘‘ There’s no use 
talking, boys,” he said, firmly. “ I don’t blame you 
for being riled; but these prisoners are in my care. 
I’m responsible for them, and I will defend them with 
my life.” 

It won’t do ye no good t’ show fight, Ross,” said 
the leader, grimly. “ We’ve come arter these men, 
an’ by th’ great horn spoon, we’re goin’ t’ hev ’em. 
Close in thar,” he added. 

The newcomers drew their circle closer around Peters 
and his prisoners. Rifle in hand the warden stood 
facing them; but his efforts were in vain. A slip noose 


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thrown from behind suddenly settled about his shoul- 
ders, and, with a rush, the newcomers closed in upon 
the shrieking, protesting prisoners. 

They were dragged to a tall beech tree that stood 
some distance from the camp, while the warden, bound 
hand and foot, was powerless to aid them. 

“ It’s no use for us t’ fight ’em,” said Benner. 
‘‘ They air too many fer us.” 

Meanwhile with a noose about his neck, and the other 
end of the rope over a limb of the big beech. Eke Bow- 
fus was the picture of craven fear. His dark features 
were ghastly pale, and his eyes rolled wildly in a vain 
search for relief. 

‘‘ Air ye all ready ? ” asked the leader. 

“ Perhaps he’s got suthin’ t’ say,” suggested one of 
the newcomers. 

Yes, yes,” said Bowfus, eagerly, “ I want t’ be 
heard.” 

“ Wal, say yer say,” ordered the leader, grimly, 
but be quick erbout it.” 

‘‘Ye ain’t got no call t’ do this, boys,” pleaded Bow- 
fus. “ I know I’ve done wrong ; but I promise ye 
thet, if ye’ll let me go. I’ll clear out an’ never show 
up in this ’ere country agin.” 

“ I reckon he’d be stealin’ deer somewhere else jest 
the same,” said one of the men. 

“ I won’t. I promise ye I won’t,” protested Bow- 
fus, in quaking tones. 


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335 


“ Here’s a good chance to die in our boots/’ whis- 
pered Norman to Fred. 

Yes, but I notice that none of us are anxious to 
go that far for Bowfus,” said Warner, dryly. “ The 
most of us are content with a protest, while I honestly 
believe that Sol and Benner would be glad to help these 
fellows, if they needed them,” he added. 

“ There’s no doubt where their sympathies lie,” said 
Norman. 

Well, boys, you’ve heard what Bowfus hes hed t’ 
say, what’s yer verdict ? ” asked the leader. 

“ Hang him ! ” came the answering chorus. 

“ Hold on ! Hold on ! Don’t ye do it ! ” shrieked 
Bowfus. 

“ Up with him,” ordered the leader. 

The men at the end of the rope pulled the struggling, 
protesting Bowfus into the air. 

At that moment, however, a new crowd of men 
broke through the woods with a loud shout. The men 
who held the rope were bowled over, and Bowfus was 
lowered gasping to the ground. The ropes that bound 
the game warden were cut, and he was speedily in the 
midst of the fray. 

“ Gusty Peters! ” gasped Norman in amazement, as 
he recognized the leader of the new forces. 

At your service,” laughed the big fellow. I 
reckon we got here jest in the nick o’ time,” he added. 
“ I got wind o’ this thing last night, an’ took th’ crew 
an’ started. I tell ye we hevn’t let any grass grow 


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under our feet. Tear off their masks, boys,” he 
shouted to his men, setting the example by snatching 
away the mask of the leader. 

“ Abe Gray, by all thet's holy ! he shouted, as the 
familiar features of his victim stood revealed. ** Let 
up on 'em, boys,” he shouted, “ I reckon they've got 
enough.” 

The men of the woods crew assembled slowly on 
one side of the camp, and the guides, shamefaced and 
discomfited, gathered about their leader. Their masks 
had been torn away in the struggle, and Norman gasped 
with surprise, as he recognized the familiar faces of 
some of the best-known guides of the Sebois section. 

‘‘ I know you men,” said the warden, as he surveyed 
them calmly, “ and I reckon you will be willing to drop 
this matter now. What do you say, Abe ? ” he added, 
addressing the veteran guide who had acted as leader. 

I reckon the jig is up,” admitted Gray, sullenly. 
‘‘We didn't count on Gusty's buttin' in on us.” 

“Ye surely didn’t think ye could hev a scrap in 
these 'ere woods without me bein' in it, did ye ? ” 
asked the big woodsman, with a genial grin. It was 
evident that the outcome of the brief tussle had put 
him in excellent humor. 

“ I know thet don't very often happen,” said Gray, 
dryly. 

“ It wouldn't be safe,” said Gusty. “ They tell all 
sorts o’ stories 'bout me; but no one ever charged me 
with runnin' away from a fight.” 


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337 


“ I reckon ye air protectin’ this man because ye’ve 
been buyin’ deer of ’im,” continued Gray. “ We’ve 
heard erbout thet.” 

I’ll allow, boys, es how I’ve bought five deer of 
these men,” admitted Gusty, ‘‘ but I gin ye my word 
I thought they got ’em themselves. The law gives 
’em a right to shoot six. I’ve got my faults, boys,” 
he added, earnestly, but I never upheld any man in 
meddlin’ with another man’s game. A feller thet does 
thet is a low, mean skunk. I don’t owe this man Bow- 
fus anything. He came nigh killin’ Ross a spell ago. 
I’ve sworn to break ’im in two if I ever got my two 
hands on ’im; but now thet Ross has got ’im headed 
fer jail with plenty o’ evidence t’ convict ’im, I reckon 
we won’t make any mistake t’ let th’ law take its 
course.” 

How do ye happen t’ show up here et jest this 
time ? ” demanded Gray. 

‘‘ Oh, I got a tip o’ what was in th’ wind,” said 
Gusty. 

‘‘ I suspected it,” said Gray, bitterly. “ Some one’s 
been leakin’.” 

“ I reckon he expected me t’ come along an’ help 
ye,” said Gusty ; “ but I concluded es how we’d better 
Stan’ fer law an’ order.” 

Ye alius was fond o’ novelty,” declared Gray, 
tersely — a comment which called forth a burst of I 
laughter from the guides, in which some of Gusty’s 
men could not refrain from joining. 


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‘‘We grow more sensible es the years go by/’ said 
Gusty, solemnly. “ You’ll know more an’ be wiser, 
Abe, when ye git older,” he added, in a patronizing 
tone. 

“ I know enough now t’ mind my own business,” 
said Gray, sharply. 

“ If’s thet the case,” said Gusty, blandly, “ ye sar- 
tinly didn’t hev no call t’ go buttin’ in on my brother’s 
affairs.” 

“ We’ve all suffered from these men,” said Gray, 
“ an’ we’re all interested in seein’ ’em punished, but 
since th’ verdict seems t’ be t’ let th’ law take its course, 
why, let it go et thet. I hope Ross won’t feel called 
on t’ make us no trouble.” 

“ I’m willing to drop the whole matter right here, 
boys,” said the warden. 

“ Well, that’s decent of ye,” said Gray, with evident 
relief. “Ye needn’t worry any more ’bout us,” he 
added. “We sha’n’t trouble ye agin.” 

“ Thank you, boys,” said the warden. “ I think 
you’ll all be glad some day that the law was allowed 
to take its course.” 

“ I hope we shall,” said Gray. “ Come on, boys,” 
he added, and, turning abruptly about, he made off 
through the woods, followed by the guides. 

“ Whew ! That was a close call,” said Hamilton, 
when they had gone. 

“ I reckon we got erlong about th’ right time,” 
agreed Gusty. 


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339 


You certainly helped me out of a tight box, 
George,” said the warden. 

“ I was glad t’ do it, Ross,” said Gusty, heartily. 
‘‘ I reckon we’d better be gittin’ back t’ camp. We’ve 
got some logs t’ yard,” he added. 

“ Don’t go,” pleaded Bowfus. “ Them fellers will 
come back agin if ye do.” 

“ There’s no danger,” said the warden. “ They 
know that I know them now, and will be glad to let 
the whole matter drop. Besides we have Abe Gray’s 
word that they won’t trouble us again.” 

I reckon ye’re safe enough,” said Gusty, confi- 
dently. ‘‘ Them fellers won’t trouble ye agin. Come 
on, boys,” and, waving a farewell to the members of 
General Carver’s party, he started back in the direction 
from which he had come, followed by his men. 

“ They might have stayed here and camped with us 
to-night,” said the General, when they had gone. 

They couldn’t spare the time,” said the warden. 
‘‘ They won’t hold up short of Grand Lake.” 

The members of the party, following the departure 
of their unexpected visitors, sat down to a hot supper 
which Fred Warner prepared for them. The pris- 
oners, however, scarcely touched the food that was 
placed before them, and were evidently in a much- 
shaken condition. 

“ I see Bowfus and his men are off their feed,” 
commented Benner. 

‘‘Loseum appetite,” grunted Sol. 


340 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ Well, I reckon the rest of us would feel a little 
under the weather if we’d had as close a call as they 
have,” said Warner. 

I shouldn’t ’a’ shed any salt, scaldin’ tears if they’d 
hanged th’ critters,” confessed Benner. 

“ No,” said Warner, “ I didn’t suppose that you 
would.” 

“ I reckon th’ sooner sech critters are under th’ sod, 
th’ better it is fer all on us,” said Benner. 


CHAPTER XXIX 


NORMAN SHOOTS AN ‘‘ INDIAN DEVIL ’’ 

Silence had finally settled over the camp, and Nor- 
man was just dropping off to sleep, when once again 
he was brought upright by what sounded like a blood- 
curdling burst of demoniac laughter some distance 
away in the woods. 

“ Here, wake up! ” he said, giving Warner a shake. 

“What’s wanted?” demanded Warner, sleepily. 

“ Did you hear that ? ” 

“Yes,” returned Warner, drowsily. “It’s a cata- 
mount,” 

“ I thought Hamilton called it a cougar,” said Nor- 
man. 

“ So it is — same thing,” explained Warner. “ The 
guides call them Indian devils. That’s a male we just 
heard.” 

“ The one we heard last night sounded like the wail- 
ing of a hurt child,” said Norman. 

“Yes,” said Warner. “That was a female.” 

“ They seem to be following us from one camping- 
place to another,” said Norman. “ I don’t like it.” 

“ There’s no danger,” said Warner, reassuringly. 
“ They never come very near a fire.” 

341 


342 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ I'd like to get that fellow, Fred,” said Norman. 

“ I wish you could,” returned Warner, “ but the 
chances are you can’t. If we had a dog we could put 
him up a tree in short order.” 

“ Are cougars very plenty in these woods ? ” asked 
Norman. 

No,” returned Warner. They are very rare. 
Still the hunters get them occasionally, especially when 
they come round the camps to steal deer. They are 
worse than Bowfus in that respect.” 

“ I’d like mighty well to get a shot at that fellow,” 
repeated Norman. 

Warner laughed. 

“Want another rug, do you?” he asked. 

“ No,” said Norman. “ If I could get him I’d have 
him mounted to go with my albino buck.” 

“ Well, I wish you might,” said Warner. 

“ Let’s cut loose from the others in the morning, 
and hunt for him,” suggested Norman. 

“ All right,” returned Warner. “ I’d like to, if your 
father is willing.” 

“ I’ll fix that,” said Norman, confidently. 

Breakfast was eaten before daybreak the following 
morning. 

“ You and Sol will have to show us the way home, 
Mr. Benner,” said the General. “ The boys are going 
to hunt for that cougar.” 

“ Wal, I reckon we kin find it,” said Benner. “ I 
sartin hope the boys kin git thet Injun devil, but I hev 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


343 


my doubts on it. I reckon we air es likely t’ run onto 
it es they air.” 

“ Well,” said the General, with a smile, we will 
wish them good luck. Still, we sha’n’t hesitate to 
shoot it, if we chance to find it.” 

“ I’ve no idee thet he’ll let us get within hailin’ dis- 
tance. They air mighty keen-scented, an’ great crit- 
ters t’ travel.” 

“ Well, good-bye,” said Warner, as he and Norman 
parted from the other members of the party. “ You’ll 
probably get home ahead of us; but I reckon we’ll be 
back for supper.” He turned abruptly to the left and 
plunged into the black growth. 

“Where are you going, Fred?” asked Norman. 

“ I thought we’d take a turn out through the swamp 
beyond here,” said Warner. “ I’m pretty well satis- 
fied that that was where that fellow was last night.” 

“ I never saw one,” confessed Norman. 

“ Well, I had the good fortune to shoot one this 
spring,” said Warner. 

“You did!” said Norman, with interest. “How 
did you do it ? ” 

“ I caught him throttling a sheep in our barnyard. 
I heard the commotion among the flock, and went out 
with my rifle. I supposed it was a bear. I tell you 
I was surprised when I saw that fellow. He had a 
sheep down in the further corner of the yard with his 
nose in the blood. I rested my rifle across the top 
of the fence and dropped him right there.” 


344 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“What did you do with his skin?” asked Norman. 

“ I cured it,” said Warner, “ and mother lined it, 
and made a rug out of it. We have it in our sitting- 
room at home. It’s a beauty.” 

“ I’d give a good deal to get a good crack at one 
of those fellows,” said Norman, with enthusiasm. 

“ You want the whole string,” said Warner. “ Most 
fellows would be satisfied with a moose, and a bear, 
and an albino buck.” 

“ I know it,” confessed Norman, “ but the more I 
get the more I seem to want. Still,” he added, “ I 
want you to know, Fred, that I shall be pretty well 
satisfied if I don’t get anything else.” 

“ I’ve tried to do my part as well as I could,” said 
Warner. 

“No one could possibly have done any better,” 
returned Norman, heartily. 

For a time their way led among the big spruce trees 
of the black growth. Here the undergrowth had been 
killed by the shade, and they walked upon a thick 
carpet of moss. From here they made their way into 
a tangled labyrinth of deadfalls and cedar growth, 
where their progress was so impeded as to become 
exceedingly slow and tedious. 

Far away in the swamp they could hear the low 
murmur of a brook. Presently they reached its bank 
and climbed a big granite boulder that stood upon it 
and formed a partial dam for the little stream into 
which it jutted. Norman gave an exclamation of 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


345 


regret as he perceived that the pool formed by this 
obstruction was fairly swarming with brook trout. 

“ My kingdom for a hook,” he exclaimed, regret- 
fully. 

“ I reckon you can get one cheaper than that,” said 
Warner. He took his pack from his back, and, open- 
ing it, produced a fishline and hook. 

“ Fred, you’re a jewel ! ” exclaimed Norman, delight- 
edly ; ‘‘ but what,” he added, “ are we going to do for 
bait?” 

‘‘ Wait a minute,” said Warner. He took his small 
axe from his belt, and, going to an old decaying stub 
that stood a short distance up the bank of the brook, 
hacked at it industriously. Presently he returned with 
half a dozen white grubs in the palm of his hand. 

‘‘ Here’s your bait,” he said. ‘‘ You’ve used the 
same kind before.” 

“ Yes,” returned Norman, ‘‘ the last time I used 
that kind of bait I caught a good mess of trout for 
Gusty Peters and Black Jake Jasper.” 

‘‘ And I cooked them for them,” added Warner. 

“ Now for a pole,” said Norman. He took out his 
sheath knife and cut a slender ash sapling that grew 
beside the brook. 

“ This will do very nicely,” he said, as he trimmed 
away its branches. 

He attached his line to the end of this pole, and, 
baiting his hook with one of the grubs, dropped it into 
the pool. There was a swirl in the water as the eager 


346 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


fish leaped for it, and a moment later a half-pound 
trout lay flopping on the rock. 

“ That’s a good trout,” declared Warner, as he took 
it from the hook, and placed it upon a crotched stick 
^ which he had cut for a stringer. 

“ There’s one twice as big as he is in there,” said 
Norman, excitedly. “ I tell you he’s a bouncer. I’m 
going to have him.” 

‘‘ You’ll get him all right,” said Warner, confidently, 

if you fish for him.” 

A moment later Norman gave a swift yank at his 
pole, only to see the big trout go flying into the bushes 
behind a good-sized boulder on the opposite side of 
the brook. Almost immediately there was a movement 
of some animal in the bushes. 

“Your rifle!” whispered Warner, and Norman 
hasted to drop his fish-pole and reach for his rifle, 
which he had leaned against the boulder. Scarcely 
had he got it in his hands before a large cougar leaped 
upon the boulder on the opposite side of the brook, 
with the missing trout in his mouth. The eyes of the 
big cat burned like two coals of fire, and he nervously 
lashed his tail from side to side, as if he were preparing 
to leap. Norman’s hand trembled a little, in spite of 
himself, as he glanced along his rifle barrel. There 
was a sharp report, and with a spasmodic leap the 
cougar disappeared in the underbrush. 

“ Go slow,” said Warner, laying a restraining hand 
upon Norman’s arm, as he was about to follow him. 



A LARGE COUGAR LEAPED UPON THE BOULDER ON THE OPPOSITE 
SIDE OF THE BROOK. — Page 346 





THE YOUNG GUIDE 


347 


He isn’t dead, and they are bad fellows when they’re 
wounded.” 

From the bushes beyond the brook came the thresh- 
ing of a big body. 

“ He’s hard hit all right,” said Warner. 

“ He’ll get away!” cried Norman, in alarm. 

“ If he does we’ll go after him,” said Warner. “ Be 
ready to shoot.” At this moment the head of the big 
cat appeared above the boulder across the brook, growl- 
ing and snarling with rage. The blood was streaming 
down over its muzzle from a ragged-looking wound in 
the top of its head. 

“ Now,” said Warner, sharply. 

Norman fired, and once more the big cat rolled into 
the bushes. 

“ I think you’ve got him this time,” exclaimed 
Warner, triumphantly. 

‘‘ I don’t hear him,” said Norman. 

Keep your rifle in readiness to shoot,” said War- 
ner, and move slowly.” Crossing the brook on an 
old windfall a short distance below the pool, they 
cautiously approached the place where the cougar had 
disappeared. 

Presently a shout of triumph broke from Norman, 
for there, stretched out in the coarse swamp grass, was 
the dead body of the big cat. 

‘H’ve got him!” exclaimed Norman, eagerly. 

'‘No doubt of it,” said Warner. " The last shot 
finished him. He’s as dead as a door nail.” 


348 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“Isn't he a beauty!" said Norman, as he gazed 
upon the lithe, sinewy form of the cougar. 

“ He certainly is," conceded Warner. “ You want 
to mount him, do you ? ” 

“ I certainly do," said Norman. 

“ Then I reckon I’ll leave the head on this skin," 
said Warner, as he whipped out his hunting knife. 
In a short time the skin was removed from the dead 
cougar and strung upon a pole which Warner cut for 
the purpose. 

This the boys carried upon their shoulders, one at 
each end, and, in this way, made their way back to 
the old woods-road which wound round along the shore 
of the Sebois River to Larry Hunt's place. 

It was nearly dusk when they reached the big camp, 
but the news that they had killed an Indian devil cre- 
ated no little excitement. The skin and head of the 
big animal called forth many an admiring exclamation 
from the group in the office, to whom Norman and 
Fred exhibited it. 

“ You air sartinly an amazin' lucky critter," declared 
Benner. “ I bed no idee ye'd git thet Injun devil." 

“ Good boy ! " said Sol Soc, approvingly. It was 
evident that the Indian felt more satisfaction in Nor- 
man's exploit than he would have had he shot the big 
cat himself. 

In the rear of the big office sat Eke Bowfus and his 
men, closely guarded by Ross Peters. 

It was evident that they were ill at ease, and their 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


349 


furtive glances at the guides were full of apprehension. 

‘‘ Them critters won't dare to draw a full breath 
till they git in jail," declared Benner. 

‘‘ They’ve gotten all over their desire to escape, have 
they?" queried Norman. 

‘‘ Escape ! " sniffed Benner. Ross couldn’t drive 
’em away from ’im with a gun. They air scared blue 
this minute for fear th’ boys may repent an’ string 
’em up." 

‘‘ I fancy that is just what would happen to them 
if they should get away, don’t you know," said Lord 
Matterson. 

“ When are they going out ? " asked Norman. 

‘‘ Ross an’ Sol air goin’ t’ take ’em t’ Patten th’ 
fust thing in th’ mornin’," said Benner. “ Pete Bedotte 
is goin’ t’ drive ’em out.’’ 

“ This will be the end of them for some time to 
come, I reckon," said Warner. 

Larry Hunt is nigh tickled t’ death t’ think they’re 
ketched," said Benner. “ Their doin’s was beginnin’ 
t’ give this kentry a bad name with sportsmen." 

“ But after all, this is the country for game," said 
Norman. 

“ It certainly has been for you,” said Lord Matter- 
son. ‘‘ You’ve been fortunate enough to have a good 
guide," he added, ‘‘ while I’ve been ass enough to try 
to get along without any. I’ve learned my lesson, 
though, and hereafter I shall make no attempts to hunt 
alone." 


350 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


‘‘ I predict that you will carry out your full quota 
of game/’ said Norman. 

“ If I don’t, it won’t be my fault, don’t you know,” 
said the Englishman. 

“ I hope you’ll get as good a guide as Fred,” said 
Norman. 

‘‘ Thank you,” said the Englishman. ‘‘ I hope so, 
but I fancy, don’t you know, that they are not easy 
to find.” 

Warner flushed. 

‘‘ You must take what Norman says with a grain 
of salt,” he said. “ He was always inclined to flatter 
me.” 

“ In this case,” said the Englishman, “ I know he’s 
only stating the plain truth.” 

“ Supper ! ” shouted Larry Hunt, and the noisy party 
in the office filed into the big dining-room to enjoy the 
excellent repast which Felix Lamar re had prepared for 
them. 

‘‘ I have received some letters to-night,” announced 
the General, when he and Norman had returned to the 
little cabin after supper. 

“No bad news, I hope?” said Norman. 

“ Well, not exactly,” said the General. “ One of 
them was from the taxidermist at Bangor. He says 
that your buck and moose head are all set up, and ready 
for shipment.” 

“Good!” said Norman, enthusiastically. 

“ I have arranged with Peters to take your cougar 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


351 


out to Patten in the morning and ship it to the same 
party/’ continued the General. “ Mr. Warner tells 
me that you want it set up.” 

“ I certainly do,” said Norman. 

“ There’s another letter that I fear may not please 
you so much,” said the General. “ There is an impor- 
tant case coming up in the Supreme Court in a few 
days that will require my presence at home.” 

“ I’ll go with you, father,” said Norman. ‘‘ I want 
to get down to good hard study this winter. You have 
given me a good time, and I want you to know that 
I appreciate it.” 

“ I am glad that you have enjoyed yourself,” said 
the General, “ and I want to say that I have had a 
thoroughly good time myself. I know that it has done 
me a lot of good.” 

‘‘ I’m glad you feel better for it,” said Norman. 

It does any man good to get back now and then 
to the heart of Nature,” said the General. ‘‘ I have 
felt that I have not entered into your life in times past 
as much as I should have, and I purpose to be more 
of a boy with you in the years to come. This trip 
has at least shown us that we can have good times 
together.” 

‘‘ I have enjoyed every minute of it,” said Norman, 
with enthusiasm. 

“ Now that weVe found the way, we shall have to 
plan to come again another fall,” said the General. 

I shall always be glad to come here,” said Norman. 


352 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


Late that night, he lay awake thinking over the 
pleasures of the trip. Outside the stars twinkled coldly, 
and a stiff autumn breeze was singing dirges through 
the tall trees ; but inside the little camp all was warmth 
and good cheer, and Norman finally fell asleep, with the 
conviction that nowhere under the stars could a better 
place be found for an outing. 


CHAPTER XXX 


CONCLUSION 

It was an early hour in the morning when Norman 
turned with a sigh from waving a good-bye to Sol 
Soc, Ross Peters, and big Pete Bedotte, as they started 
for Patten, where they were to take the train for 
Bangor, with their three prisoners. 

Already the coming parting with Fred Warner, and 
his other friends of the Sebois region, was beginning 
to weigh heavily upon him. He went over in his mind 
the events of the past year, and could scarcely realize 
that he was the same boy who had been sent to Quad- 
rate Lake as clerk to a crew of loggers to put him 
beyond the reach and influence of undesirable com- 
panions. Truly, in making that change his father had 
wrought better than he knew. 

Norman was conscious that, as a result of his con- 
tact with the rough but practical men of the woods 
and the drive, his whole outlook upon life had under- 
gone a radical and permanent change. He had come 
to recognize and appreciate the dignity of labor. He 
had learned to set a just value upon the conquests of 
industry. He valued highly the loyal friendships he 
had formed among the hardy men of the North woods= 
353 


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He told himself that, though they might be uncouth 
of manner and rough of speech, they were strong in 
the rugged qualities of hardihood and courage. Their 
hearts beat true. 

Engrossed in these reflections, he passed around the 
end of the big camp, and paused for a moment to watch 
the playful antics of Jim and Joe, and here Warner 
came and found him. 

No one can tell me, Fred, that bears have no sense 
of humor,” said Norman, turning to his friend, with 
a smile. ‘‘ Both of those cubs are brim-full of it.” 

‘‘We shall have to be crating them up pretty soon, 
I expect,” said Warner. “ Your father telephoned a 
dispatch to some menagerie man last night to see if 
he wanted them.” 

“ I don’t think he’s received any reply yet,” said 
Norman. “If he had, he would have said something 
about it.” 

“ He’ll probably hear from it some time to-day,” 
said Warner. “ They can telephone the answer from 
Patten.” 

“ Fred,” announced Norman, abruptly, “ we’re going 
home.” 

“ Going home ! ” echoed Warner, blankly. “ Why, 
it seems to me as if you hadn’t much more than got 
here.” 

“ You and I have covered a large amount of 
ground, and had considerable sport together since 
then,” returned Norman. “ So long as I live, old 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


355 


boy/’ he added, giving Warner an affectionate pat 
on the shoulder, I shall never forget the good times 
I’ve had with you on this trip.” 

“ It has been a play-time for me,” said Warner, 
soberly, and you know I’ve never been able to do 
much sporting. When I’ve hunted at home it has 
usually been because we needed the meat. It won’t be 
necessary to tell you how much I shall miss you,” he 
added, regretfully. ‘Wou will understand that with- 
out any word from me.” 

“ I don’t think you’ll miss me any more than I shall 
you, Fred,” said Norman; ‘"but cheer up,” he added, 
ill a lighter tone, “ father has promised to come here 
again, and we shall certainly want you to guide us.” 

‘‘ What are you planning to do this winter, Mr. 
Warner?” asked General Carver later, as Fred was 
in the little cabin assisting him and Norman to pack. 

“ I’m planning to go to the district school this winter. 
This has been a prosperous year with us. We raised 
an exceptionally fine crop of potatoes, and they are 
bringing good prices. Mother thinks there will be no 
need for me to work in the woods the coming winter, 
although I may, possibly, go on the drive again in 
the spring. I’m engaged for next fall, you know.” 

‘‘You are?” said the General. “Where?” 

“ I’m going to help Ross Peters. He says the Fish 
and Game Commissioners have promised him another 
warden for this section next season, and he has prom- 
ised to get me the appointment.” 


356 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


I congratulate you/’ said the General, heartily. 

“ I think Peters is the one to be congratulated,” said 
Norman. 

‘‘ So he is,” agreed the General. “ He has certainly 
made a wise choice.” 

“ It is very kind of you to say so,” said Warner, 
modestly. 

‘‘ I have another plan to propose to you,” announced 
the General. ‘‘ Norman has got somewhat out of joint 
with his classes during the past year, so I shall arrange 
for him to pursue his studies at home under a private 
tutor. I am convinced that your influence with him 
has always been a wholesome one, and I should be glad 
to have you spend the winter in Boston with us, and 
pursue your studies under the same tutor.” 

Hurrah ! ” exclaimed Norman, with enthusiasm, 
grasping Warner warmly by. the hand. “ You must 
say you’ll come, old boy. I sha’n’t take ‘ no ’ for an 
answer.” 

It’s too much to do for me,” protested Warner. 

‘‘ I shall certainly feel very much gratified to have 
you come,” said the General, warmly. 

I couldn’t get away for a few weeks,” said Warner. 

I’ve promised Larry Hunt to stay through the hunt- 
ing season.” 

Well, come on then, just as soon as it is over.” 

“ Thank you,” said Warner, ‘‘ I shall be glad to — 
that is,” he added, ‘‘ if you feel quite sure that I shall 
not be in the way.” 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


357 


“ You certainly will not/' declared the General, 
earnestly. “ I feel quite certain that your presence 
will be a stimulus in the right direction for Norman.” 

“ All right,” said Warner, “ I'll come. I can't begin 
to tell you how much I appreciate your kindness.” 

“ I am sure that Norman and I will be the gainers 
by the arrangement,” declared the General, with a 
smile. 

“Good for you!” exclaimed Norman, heartily, as 
he shook Warner's hand, warmly. “ Come just as 
soon as you can.” 

“ You needn’t worry,” returned Warner, with a 
laugh. “ I shall be just as eager to get there as you 
will be to have me.” 

Later in the day a telegram was telephoned to Gen- 
eral Carver from Patten. It was from the Superin- 
tendent of the New York Zoological Gardens, and 
accepted, with thanks, the proffer of the cubs. Benner 
at once began the construction of a specially strong 
crate in which to ship them. 

At an early hour the following morning. General 
Carver and Norman stowed themselves away on Pete 
Eedotte's big buckboard for the long ride to Patten. 
In addition to their dunnage the team carried the dazed 
cubs, safely confined in a big crate. 

“ Good-bye,” said Lord Matterson, as he shook hands 
with them warmly at parting. “ You have been very 
kind to me, and I shall always cherish pleasant mem- 
ories of my acquaintance with you,” 


358 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


“ How long will you remain here ? ” asked the Gen- 
eral. 

At least another fortnight,” returned the English- 
man. IVe engaged Mr. Warner for a guide, and 
intend to do a little real hunting. Mr. Hamilton has 
planned to remain with me.” 

‘‘ Well, ril predict that you’ll get all the game the 
law allows you,” said the General, confidently. 

Thanks ! ” returned the Englishman, heartily, “ I 
trust you may prove to be a prophet.” It may be added 
that the prediction was fulfilled to the letter. 

The buckboard started down the tote-road, and, at 
the top of the :harp pitch beyond the bridge, Norman 
stood up for a moment to wave a last farewell to Jim 
Benner, Warner, and Felix Lamar re, who were watch- 
ing them from the camp piazza. 

In due season they arrived at Patten, and bidding 
good-bye to Pete Bedotte, took the train for Bangor. 
There they had a wait of an hour before the train left 
for Boston. Almost the first persons they met as they 
came into the station were Ross Peters and Sol Soc. 

‘‘Well, landed your men, did you?” inquired the 
General, as they shook hands. 

“ Yes,” replied the warden. “ They are in the 
the county jail. I honestly believe they were glad to 
get there. They scarcely dared to draw a full breath 
until we were out of the woods. Our work here has 
been easier than we anticipated. Bowfus and his men 
were arraigned this afternoon, and pleaded guilty to 


THE YOUNG GUIDE 


359 


every charge, including the robbery of Umber, which 
I expected to have to establish in evidence.” 

“ That will certainly dispose of them for some time,” 
said the General, much gratified. 

It will undoubtedly give them a good long trip to 
the State prison at Thomaston,” said the warden. 

‘‘You come again?” asked Sol, as he shook hands 
with Norman at parting. 

“ Yes,” replied Norman. “ We are planning to 
come back to Larry Hunt’s again next fall.” 

“ Good ! ” grunted the Indian, and turning abruptly 
away, he and Peters were soon lost in the crowd that 
was waiting for the up-river train. 

In due time the train pulled out for Boston, and 
Norman, leaning back upon the cushions, lived over 
in his mind the scenes of his life in the Maine woods. 
He had had more exciting experiences than fall to the 
lot of most men in a lifetime. With them all had 
come a development of character and natural ability 
that fully realized his father’s fondest hopes. He had 
made warm friendships which would be continued 
through coming years, especially the intimacy with 
Fred Warner, who had grown to be as a brother to 
him. He felt the courage to go on to a worthy and 
useful manhood, and we who have followed him thus 
far need have no doubt of his success. 


THE END 




Raymond Benson Series 

By CLARENCE B. BURLEIGH 
Illustrated by L. J. Bridgman Large xamo, Cloth 
$1.50 per volume 

The Camp on Letter K 

^HE story deals with two active boys in Aroostook County close to the 
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Raymond Benson at Krampton 

R aymond BENSON and his friend, Ned Grover, go to Krampton 
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For sale at alt booksellers or seat postpaid on receipt 0/ 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



THE SCHOOL FOUR 

By A. T. DUDLEY 

First Volume of “Stories of the Triangular League” 
Illustrated by Charles Copeland 
12mo Cloth $1.25 

'T'HE events of the story centre in the West- 
cott School, one of three which have 
formed a new league. The leading forms of 
athletics, including rowing, figure in the gain- 
ing of points towards a championship cup, and 
the rivalry is most intense. At Westcott’s, 
the crowning student honor is the captaincy 
of the school four, and the way in which the 
succession to the coveted position falls to the 
one best deserving it forms the climax. Foot- 
ball is no less prominent in the progress of 
the story than rowing, and both general school life and competitive 
relations with other schools are set forth to the life. One of the best 
features of this really great book for boys lies in the contrast shown 
between the boy with some ability who talks himself into prominence 
at first but does not hold the pace, and the modest fellow, who starts 
quietly, but is “coming” all the time. 

“The tone of the book is manly, holding up the honesty and true simplicity 
of the true athlete and setting up a high standard to the sport-loving boy.” — 
Public Ledger y Philadelphia. 

“It is a good wholesome book for boys, and the lad who is interested in 
athletics is apt to plead for the opportunity to read ‘just one more chapter, 
please,’ when bedtime comes .” — Springfield [.Mass.')^ Republican. 

“Mr. Dudley takes easy lead in strong, vigorous books for young 
America.” — Interior ^ Chicago. 



For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Boston 


PHILLIPS EXETER SERIES 
By A. T. DUDLEY 

Cloth, i2mo Illustrated by Charles Copeland Price per volume, $ 1.25 


FOLLOWING THE BALL 

H ere is an up-to-date story presenting American boarding-school 
life and modern athletics. Football is an important feature, but it 
is a story of character formation in which athletics play an important part. 

“ Mingled with the story of football is another and higher endeavor, giving the 
book the best of moral tone.” — Chicago Record-Herald. 

MAKING THE NINE 

•"^HE life presented is that of a real school, interesting, diversified, 
JL and full of striking incidents, while the characters are true and 
consistent types of American boyhood and youth. The athletics are 
technically correct, abounding in helpfull suggestions, and the moral 
tone is high and set by action rather than preaching. 

“ The story is healthful, for, while it exalts athletics, it does not overlook the 
fact that studious habits and noble character are imperative needs for those who 
would win success in life.” — Herald and Presbyter ^ Cincinnati. 

IN THE LINE 

T ells how a stalwart young student won his position as guard, and 
at the same time made equally marked progress in the formation of 
character. Plenty of jolly companions contribute a strong, humorous 
element, and the book has every essential of a favorite. 

” The book gives boys an interesting storw much football information, and many 
lessons in true manliness.” — Watchman, Boston, 


With Mask and Mitt 

W HILE baseball plays an important part 
in this story, it is not the only element 
of attraction. While appealing to the natural 
normal tastes of boys for fun and interest in 
the national game, the book, without preach- 
ing, lays emphasis on the building up of 
character. 

“No normal boy who is interested in our great 
national game can fail to find interest and profit, too, 
in thi3 lively boarding school story.” — Interior, 
Chicago, 


For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price 
by the publishers, 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO.. BOSTON 



PHILLIPS EXETER SERIES 

By A. T. DUDLEY 

Cloth, i2mo Illustrated by Charles Copeland Price per volume, $ 1 .25 



The Great Year 

A t Seaton Academy, which is of course Exeter, 
three fine, manly comrades, respectively cap- 
tains of the football, baseball, and track and field 
athletic teams, make a compact to support each 
other in carrying through the really great responsi- 
bilities that devolve upon each. The purpose 
is that for the honor of their school they may 
achieve a “great year” of triple victory over their 
traditional rival, “Hilibury.” 

“A. fine, inspiring story for manly boys,” — N". Y, 
Christian Advocate. 


THE YALE CUP 


T he “ Cup ” is an annual prize given by a club of Yale alumni to the 
members of the Senior class of each of several preparatory schools 
“who best combines proficiency in athletics with good standing in his 
studies.” It is the most desired honor of the course in the great school 
where the scene of the story is laid. As is the case with all these books, 
athletic sports are constantly introduced, and treated with expert knowledge. 

“ Its appeal is to the best side of a boy in all that goes to the making of manli- 
ness and sincerity in one’s character.” — Springfield Union. 

A Full-Back Afloat 

Being: an Account of Dick Melvin’s 
Vacation Voyage 

D ick MELVIN is well remembered as the 
hero of the first volume of this series, 

“Following the Ball.” At the close of his 
first year in college he is induced to earn a 
passage to Europe by helping on a cattle steamer. 

The work is not so bad, but his associates are 
not all college men, to say the least, and Dick 
finds ample use for the vigor, self control, and 
quick wit in emergency which he has gained 
‘rom football. 

** The story is vivid and in new lines and will Interest the many lads who 
#ead with pleasure and profit Mr, Dudley’s books .” — Chicago Evening Post, 

For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price 
by the publishers, 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON 


First Volume of “War for the Union Series” 
Illustrated by Frank Vining Smith 
12mo Cloth $1.50 

^jTHIS story is based on true happenings, 
and the thread of it is the escape of a 
young Union soldier from a Southern prison. 
Graphically told incidents, true to fact, crowd 
each other. There are guerillas, prisons, 
campaigns, negroes, friends and enemies, 
loyal men and others, all parts of the tale. 
Above all, the book is interesting as well as 
intrinsically valuable, and the keynote to the 
series will be loyalty to a re-united country, 
in which sentiment those of all sections can 
heartily join. 

“ It is well written and valuable, as the work of this talented author may be 
expected to he Herald and Presbyter. 

“ Dr. Tomlinson is one of the most popular writers for boys, and this story 
is in his best vein.” — San Francisco Chronicle. 

“There are enough exciting events to suit the average live boy, and there 
is the advantage of a background of reality and a lesson in history.” — Brooklyn 
Eagle. 

“The author has a felicitous way of reaching and holding the boyish mind 
and heart with his excellent stories with historical backgrounds.” — Chicago 
News. 



For sale by alt booksellers ^ or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Boston 


Our Own Land Series 

By EVERETT T. TOMLINSON 

Illustrated Cloth, i2nio $1.50 each 


FOUR BOYS IN THE YELLOWSTONE 

U'OUR boy friends who chance to represent respectively the northern, 
southern, eastern, and western sections of our country, join In a trip up 
the Great Lakes to Duluth, where they take a private car furnished by the 
father of one of them and go on to the world-famous Yellowtsone Park, 
in which they have an abundance of adventure and enjoyment. The 
spirited illustrations by Mr. Edwards are worthy of special mention. 

“The book has a decided value in awakenings in young Americans an interest 
in some of the marvels of their own land .” — The Interior ^ Chicago. 

FOUR BOYS IN THE LAND OF COTTON 

'T^HE four boys spend their next long vaca- 
tion in a southern tour, which begins in 
Virginia, thence to the Mississippi river, and 
on through Arkansas to Indian Territory. 

They come to appreciate their own country by 
seeing it, and learn history by visiting historic 
places. Above all, they have a good time, 
and so will every one who reads this book. 

‘‘The next best thing to visiting these places 
yourself is to hear about them from Mr. Tomlin- 
son .” — Providence News. 


FOUR BOYS ON THE 

“^HE four friends of the previous volumes are in camp on the Arkansas 
River, and are so fascinated by good comradeship and interesting 
sights and experiences that they prolong their travelling by a most enviable 
trip on the mighty Mississippi. What they miss finding out or enjoying 
would not be worth mentioning. 

“They are likable lads and the story of their holiday is a vastly entertaining and 
instructive one for boys .” — Chicago Daily News, 



MISSISSIPPI 


For Male by all booksellers or seat postpaid on receipt of 
price by the pubiisbers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 


Making of Our Nation Series 

By WILLIAM C. SPRAOUB 
Large i2mo, Cloth Illustrated by A. B. Shute 

Price per volume, $1.50 

The Boy Courier of Napoleon 

A Story of the Louisiana Purchase 

W ILLIAM C. SPRAGUE, the notably sue- 
cessful editor of “ The American Boy,” 
has given for the first time the history 
of the Louisiana Purchase in entertaining story 
form. The hero is introduced as a French 
drummer boy in the great battle of Hohenlinden. 
He serves as a valet to Napoleon and later is 
sent with secret messages to the French in San 
Domingo and in Louisiana. After exciting ad- 
ventures he accomplishes his mission and is 
present at the lowering of the Spanish flag, and 
later at that of the French and the raising ol 
the Stars and Stripes. 

“All boys and girls of our country who read this book will be delighted with it, 
as well as benefited by the historical knowledge contained in its pages.” — Louis- 
ville^ Ky.y Times. 

“An excellent book for boys, containing just enough history to make them hunge, 
for more. No praise of this book can be too high.” — Town Topict , Cleveland^ O, 
“This book is one to fascinate every intelligent American hoy ."—Buffalo Times. 

The Boy Pathfinder 

A Story of the Oregon Trail 

T his book has as its hero an actual character, 

George Shannon, a Pennsylvania lad, who 
at seventeen left school to become one of 
the Lewis and Clark expedition. He had nar- 
row escapes, but persevered, and the story of 
his wanderings, interwoven with excellent his- 
torical information, makes the highest type of 
general reading for the young. 

“It is a thoroughly good story, full of action and 
adventure and at the same time carrying a bit of real 
history accurately recorded.-’— Leader ^ 

Boston. 

“It is an excellent book for a boy to read.” — New- 
arkf N. J., Advertiser. 


For Male by all booksellers or seat postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 




WINNING 

HIS SHOULDER STRAPS 

By NORHAN BRAINERD 

First Volume of “Five Chums Series’* Illustrated by 
Frank Vining Smith 12mo Cloth $1.25 

A ROUSING story of life in a military school 
^ by one who thoroughly knows all the feat- 
ures of such a school, with so much in its life 
that is so entirely different from the ordinary 
boarding-school. Bob Anderson, the hero, is 
a good friend to tie to, and each of his four 
particular friends is a worthy companion, with 
well-sustained individuality. The dearest 
honor to a student is to become an officer, 
and these coveted honors are secured partly 
by competitive rank and partly by popular 
vote. Among all kinds of dispositions, tem- 
peraments, and temptations, Bob has no easy road to the coveted 
distinction. Athletics are plentifully featured, and every boy, good, 
bad, and indifferent, is a natural fellow, who talks and acts like a 
bright, up-to-date lad in real life. 

“ The story throughout is clean and wholesome, and will not fail to be 
appreciated by any boy reader who has red blood in his veins .” — Kennebec 
Journal. 

“There are school and athletic competitions, pranks and frolics and all in 
all a book of which most boy readers wi.l have no criticism to make.” — Spring- 
field Republican, 

“ The story is told with a great deal of power and force, as well as of 
sympathy and understanding of boy nature .” — Buffalo News. 



For sale by all booksellers^ or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 


LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., 


Boston 


THE 

BOY WITH THE U. S. SURVEY 

By FRANCIS ROLT-WHEELER 

First Volume of “U. S. Service Series” Illustrations 
from photographs taken in work for 
U. S. Government 

Large 12mo Cloth $1.50 

'T'HIS is the first of a series of boys’ books 
-i- along entirely new lines. Appealing 
to the boy’s love of excitement, this series 
gives actual experiences in the different 
branches of United States government work 
little known to the general public. This 
story describes the thrilling adventures of 
members of the U. S. Geological Survey, 
graphically woven into a stirring narrative 
that both pleases and instructs. The author 
enjoys an intimate acquaintance with the 
chiefs of the various bureaus in Washington, 
and is able to obtain at first hand the ma- 
terial for the books, and the finished manu- 
script is submitted to the chief of the bureau 
for final approval to ensure accuracy of statement. While the United 
States bureaus are not allowed to give their official endorsement to 
books, yet they are all eager to afford every facility to the author to 
take up their branch next. These are the very books that will develop 
boys into well-informed and valuable citizens of these United States, 
alive to the needs of conservation of the vast resources and energies of 
their country. 

“There is abundant charm and vigor in the narrative which is sure to 
please the boy readers and will do much toward stimulating their patriotism by 
making them alive to the needs of conservation of the vast resources of their 
country.” — Chicago News. 

“This is a book one can heartily recommend for boys, and it has life enough 
to suit the most eager of them.” — Christian Register, Boston. 

“You have made the stories much more interesting than the bare recital of 
facts by our field men.” — Geo. Otis Smith , Director U. S. Geological Survey. 

“You have faithfully portrayed many of the aspects of our field work.” — 
Alfred H, Brooks, Chief, Alaskan Division U. S. Geological Survey. 


For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Boston 



THE BOYS OF BROOKFIELD ACADEMY 

By WARREN L. ELDRED 

Illustrated by Arthur O. Scott Large 12mo Cloth $1.50 


T his story tells of a boys’ school, with a 
glorious past, but an uncertain future, 
largely due to the wrong kind of a secret 
society, a vital problem in hundreds of schools 
to-day. 

The boys, after testing his patience in every 
way that youthful ingenuity can suggest, come 
to rally about an athletic and brainy young 
graduate in the splendid transformation of the 
society, and soon of the entire academy, in one 
of the best school and athletic stories yet written. 

“Things are doing all the way through the story, 
which is clean, manly and inspiring.” — Christian 
Endeavor World. 



THE LOOKOUT ISLAND CAMPERS 

By WARREN L. ELDRED 

Illustrated by Arthur O. Scott Large 12mo Cloth $1.50 

'T'HIS is a story of active boys of fifteen or so. 
* They are very fortunate in the friendship of 
the principal of their school and his friend, an 
athletic young doctor. Under the care of these 
two they go into camp on an island well suited 
to the purpose, and within easy distance of a 
thronged summer resort. A series of exciting 
ball games and athletic contests with the boys 
at the hotel naturally follows, and the boys display 
as many varieties of human nature as could their 
elders. 

“ Mr. Eldred’s book is almost certain to meet with 
a ready response from young readers, for not only are 
the boys filled with life and vigor of a true youthful 
and appreciable variety but their experiences are 
entertaining in themselves and may perhaps give the young readers ideas for 
summer plans of their own .” — Chicago Tribune. 

For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



From Keel to Kite 

How Oakley Rose Became a 
Naval Architect 

By ISABEL HORNIBROOK 

i2mo Cloth Illustrated $1.50 

'pHE story of an up-to-date boy who 
achieves his ambition against a headwind 
of difficulty. Son of a Gloucester “skipper” 
lost on Georges, he is brought up by his 
grandfather, and inheriting a keen love of 
vessels, desires to become a naval architect. Obliged to leave high 
school, he goes to work in an Essex shipyard, hoping to obtain a 
practical knowledge of vessels. He studies naval architecture there 
in rainy intervals when shipbuilding is impo.'ssible; takes a fishing trip 
to Georges, and another, full of exciting adventure, to the halibut 
fletching grounds off the coast of Labrador. 

“Boys who delight in adventure, briskly told, will sureW find entertainment 
and profit in reading this wholesome and lively story .” — New York Examiner, 



Camp and Trail 

By ISABEL HORNIBROOK 

i2mo Cloth Illustrated $1.50 

A STORY for boys and girls who delight in 
adventure. Two English boys with their 
friend, an American collegian, go into the woods 
of Maine to hunt deer and moose. But they 
never kill wantonly or for mere sport — only for 
food or in self-defence. They study the ways 
of the great game of the woods, and breathe in 
health, inspiration and noble thoughts with the odor of the pines and 
the air of lake and mountain. 



For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 


THE BOY CRAFTSMAN 

Practical and Profitable Ideas for a 
Leisure Hours 

By A. NEELY HALL 

Illustrated with over 400 diagrams and 
working drawings 8vo Price, $2.00 

E very real boy wishes to design and make 
things, but the questions of materials and 
tools are often hard to get around. Nearly all 
books on the subject call for a greater outlay of 
money than is within the means of many boys, 
or their parents wish to expend in such ways. 
In this book a number of chapters give sugges" 
tions for carrying on a small business that will 
bring a boy in money with which to buy tools 
and materials necessary for making apparatus 
and articles described in other chapters, while 
the ideas are so practical that many an indus- 
trious boy can learn what he is best fitted for in his life work. No work 
of its class is so completely up-to-date or so worthy in point of thorough- 
ness and avoidance of danger. The drawings are profuse and excellent, 
and every feature of the book is first-class. It tells how to make a boy’s 
workshop, how to handle tools, and what can be made with them; how 
to start a printing shop and conduct an amateur newspaper, how to 
make photographs, build a log cabin, a canvas canoe, a gymnasium, a 
miniature theatre, and many other things dear to the soul of youth. 

We cannot imagine a more delightful present for a boy than this book. — 
Churchman , N. T. 

Every boy should have this book. It’s a practical book — it gets right next to 
the boy’s heart and stays there. He will have it near him all the time, and on every 
page there is a lesson or something that will stand the boy in good need. Beyond 
a doubt in its line this is one of the cleverest books on the market. — Providence 
News. 

If a boy has any sort of a mechanical turn of mind, his parents should see that 
he has this book. — Boston Journal. 

This is a book that will do boys good. — * Buffalo Express. 

The boy who will not find this book a .nine of joy and profit must be queerly 
constituted. — Pittsburgh Gazette. 

Will be a delight to the boy mechanic. — Watchman^ Boston, 

An admirable book to give a boy. — Newark News, 

This book is the best yet offered for its large number of practical and profitable 
Ideas. — Milwaukee Free Press. 
parents ought to know of this book. — New Fork Globe. 

For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers, 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 




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